AUSTIN, TEXAS: UFC presenter Joe Rogan has often been embroiled in controversies especially because of what he says during his podcasts. However, recently he was criticized for having a conversation with the former US president Donald Trump.
Donald Trump chatted with many famous attendees, including Joe Rogan, Guy Fieri, Mark Wahlberg, and Mel Gibson, while he was at a UFC fight on Saturday night, July 8, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Lead singer and guitarist of The White Stripes, Jack White, slammed celebrities who engaged with Trump during the event in an Instagram post.
'Disgusting'
White stated in his post, that included a slideshow of pictures from the occasion, “Anybody who ‘normalizes’ or treats this disgusting fascist, racist, con man, disgusting piece of shit Trump with any level of respect is ALSO disgusting in my book.” He added, “That’s you Joe Rogan, you Mel Gibson, you Mark Wahlberg, you Guy Fieri. This is a statement from me, not a discussion/debate. -Jack White III” White frequently makes political remarks on his Instagram feed. He has advocated for free speech, abortion rights, and gun control legislation during the past year.
The ‘5 minute alpha handshake’
On July 8, during a UFC fight in Las Vegas, former president Donald Trump and podcaster Joe Rogan gave each other a "5 minute alpha handshake" in spite of Rogan's disparaging remarks about him. The former president, who currently has a commanding lead among Republicans running for president, made a dramatic arrival to UFC 290, where he sat cageside. The former president approached Rogan after recognizing him and pointing at him.
Trump has been referred to by Rogan as a "existential threat to democracy" in the past. But at UFC 290, Trump seemed to want to put their disagreements aside for a short while. The audience at the event cheered for Trump, who is now leading the field of Republican presidential candidates.
In the midst of the chaos, Trump spotted Rogan, pointed at him, approached, and shook his hand. It's important to note that Rogan has previously declined Trump's request to participate on his well-known podcast called 'The Joe Rogan Experience'.