Donald Trump caught the attention of a rowdy UFC crowd in New Jersey on Saturday night as he raised his fist as they chanted “f*** Joe Biden.”
The former president made his first public appearance Thursday since being convicted on 34 counts of falsifying corporate records, receiving a standing ovation from 17,000 fans at the Prudential Center in Newark.
New footage has now emerged of the moment Trump raised his fist and saluted fans after they began loudly chanting “f*** Joe Biden” as he sat ringside.
In the next row, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers – previously touted as a potential vice president of Trump’s rival RFK Jr. – appears. – to lower his cap and cover his face.
The awkward moment came just minutes after Rodgers appeared to ignore Trump as he headed to his seat in New Jersey.
Aaron Rodgers was close to Donald Trump – but seemed reluctant to be associated with him
Trump received a deafening welcome when he arrived at the Prudential Center in New Jersey
Chants of “USA, USA!” erupted after Trump followed the entrance of fighter Sean Strickland.
“He gets a standing ovation from the crowd,” said one of the TV commentators of the fight.
Trump also took the opportunity to launch his official TikTok account. At the start of his TikTok debut, Trump stands next to UFC CEO Dana White.
“The president is on TikTok now,” White says, smiling. “It’s my honor,” Trump says.
The rest of TikTok is a mashup of Trump shaking hands and taking selfies with various fans during the UFC fight.
At the end of the video, Trump leans close to the camera and asks, “That was a good walk, right?”
The former president aptly captioned his first TikTok: “Launching my TikTok at UFC 302.”
As he walked into the arena, Trump was greeted by popular comedian Theo Von, who eagerly shook the president’s hand. Trump smiled at Von and patted him affectionately on the shoulder.
Trump is seen through the bars of the UFC cage, days after being found guilty in his trial
Earlier in the evening, Rodgers appeared to ignore the former president as he arrived at the event
Trump’s wild reception in New Jersey comes just days after the jury in his trial found that he illegally influenced the 2016 election by concealing a $130,000 hush money payment from porn star Stormy Daniels — who claimed a sexual encounter with him a decade earlier Trump (Trump has denied that).
Each charge carries a possible maximum penalty of up to four years in prison.
Trump will be sentenced on July 11, although it is unlikely there will be any prison time.
He is the first president in US history to be convicted of a crime and has spoken out against the “rigged” trial, which he said was politically motivated, as his 2024 re-election campaign gathers pace.