Hunter Biden wants to have a chat with Joe Rogan to fully explain why Donald Trump’s welcoming of a UFC event at the White House was offensive to Americans.
The UFC pulled off a unique one-of-a-kind event on the South Lawn this past Sunday. While the seven-fight event delivered inside the octagon with highlight moments throughout, some believe it should never have taken place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hunter, son of 46th US president Joe Biden, took a screenshot of a tweet from Overton News, which reads, “Joe Rogan tells people who are mad at those who attended the UFC fight at the White House to ‘shut the f*ck up.'” Rogan’s stance prompted Hunter to write a reply, explaining to Rogan why people were upset with Trump’s birthday event.
Hunter explained that he had no issue with the fighters themselves, nor the lifestyle it takes to be a professional fighter at the highest level. He also praised the UFC for becoming the successful brand it is today. However, Hunter was very critical when it came to hosting an event on the White House lawn, which he believes should be a “sacred” space that belongs to the American people.
Hunter also believes the event was about Trump stating that the White House was his house that he can do whatever he wants with, instead of acting as a temporary “honored guest” or “caretaker.”
“By holding the event on the South Lawn, what he was saying to the rest of us is: ‘This is my house. I own it. I will do with it what I please. I’ll build a colosseum and have the gladiators fight under my gaze. I’ll tear down the East Wing. I’ll pave over the Rose Garden. I’ll cover everything in gold and marble. I’ll erase the names of all the men who came before me,'” Hunter wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“The fights were an exhibition of imperial domination, not a celebration of our 250th anniversary as a democracy. The White House is not Buckingham Palace. It is not the Palace of Versailles. It is not the Forbidden City of Beijing. It does not belong to an emperor, or a king, or a commissar.”
A lawsuit was filed eight days before the event took place, seeking to shut it down due to violations of federal law and the National Park Service’s regulations. A judge ruled against it, stating the critics waited too long, and were unable to identify significant damage to stop the event.
A very low percentage of Americans, just 16 percent, supported UFC Freedom 250 taking place at the White House, according to a poll prior to the event.
Read Biden’s full post below:
Dear Joe,I wish I could sit down with you face to face and explain why so many of us were offended by the UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House.For me, it had nothing to do with the UFC or who showed up for the fights. The brand you and Dana have built is a bona fide American success story. More power to you. As for the fighters, in my book, anyone brave enough to put it all on the line in the arena is remarkable to witness. Their dedication and discipline inspire me. I don’t understand anyone who can’t admire that.And as for the people who attended, I, for one, love Shane Gillis. I think he’s hilarious and brilliant. It was a show. A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to witness it firsthand.My problem is that I believe some of our public spaces are sacred. And unlike many of the great powers that came before us, these American monuments belong to all of us. Not to whoever happens to hold power at the moment.The White House does not belong to Donald Trump. It does not belong to any President. It belongs to the people. To treat it as Caesar treated the Colosseum is antithetical to everything our founding fathers fought for.This is not Rome. Presidents are not emperors doling out bread and circuses for the peasants. The White House is the People’s House. This “celebration” could have happened in any stadium within a stone’s throw of the South Lawn. No one would have had an issue with it.But that was obviously Donald Trump’s whole point. By holding the event on the South Lawn, what he was saying to the rest of us is:“This is my house. I own it. I will do with it what I please. I’ll build a colosseum and have the gladiators fight under my gaze. I’ll tear down the East Wing. I’ll pave over the Rose Garden. I’ll cover everything in gold and marble. I’ll erase the names of all the men who came before me.”The fights were an exhibition of imperial domination, not a celebration of our 250th anniversary as a democracy.The White House is not Buckingham Palace. It is not the Palace of Versailles. It is not the Forbidden City of Beijing. It does not belong to an emperor, or a king, or a commissar.The White House belongs to us. All of us. The person who sits behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office is nothing more than an honored guest. A temporary caretaker.The President is our servant. Not our Caesar.Respectfully, Hunter
P.S. Cage match between me and Don Jr.? Your call on the venue. Anywhere but the South Lawn.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Hunter Biden explains to Rogan why UFC White House ‘offended’ many
