After decades of promoting mixed martial arts, UFC CEO Dana White considers himself an expert on toughness.
And in Donald Trump, the 54-year-old told ESPN’s Pat McAfee, he sees exactly that.
“Everybody wants to act like a tough guy, but when the shit hits the fan, you find out who the tough guys are and who the tough guys are not,” White told McAfee on Monday, after the failed assassination attempt on Trump. “This guy is the legitimate, ultimate American bada** of all time.”
But beyond the triumphant image of a proud, bloodied Trump raising his fist in the air as he is rescued by Secret Service agents, White also stressed that the shooting was a dark day for all Americans, conservatives and liberals alike.
“This is the former president and a candidate,” said White, who will introduce Trump this week at the RNC in Milwaukee.
“Imagine if someone took a shot at Biden or Obama or Clinton. It’s like this is our president. If it happened to anyone, any of our presidents, every American on the planet would be shocked and disgusted and upset and angry.”
Dana White (right) spoke with Pat McAfee (left) about Donald Trump’s toughness
A bandaged Donald Trump arrives at the opening night of the RNC in Milwaukee
White first heard about the shooting while traveling, prompting him to post a message on social media.
“I’m on a plane to Italy right now and my phone is blowing up with texts from people telling me @realdonaldtrump got shot,” White captioned the photo of Trump on Instagram. “I’m SICK to my stomach and in complete shock. I still don’t know how bad it is or if he’s okay.”
Trump survived the attack with a bleeding ear, but a man named Corey Comperatore was killed in the attack.
And he wasn’t the only UFC man to voice his support for Trump after the failed assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
‘A 78 year old multibillionaire should be on a yacht on the med golf courses,’ Conor McGregor wrote. ‘But he’s not.’ ‘He’s in Pennsylvania spitting out bullets! He’s running for the love of his country! God bless Donald! God bless the United States.’
In addition to McGregor, several UFC and MMA figures paid tribute to Trump following the incident. McGregor’s scheduled opponent, Michael Chandler, posted a photo of Trump with his fist in the air and wrote, “fighter.”
UFC superstar Conor McGregor praised Donald Trump after his failed assassination attempt
Other UFC stars including Sean Strickland, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal praised Trump
The former US president was shot during a presidential rally in Butler, Pennsylvania
“President Trump is the toughest man alive,” wrote avid Trump supporter and former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington. “God bless him and his family right now.”
“God love this man! I’m glad President Trump is okay,” wrote Covington’s bitter rival, Jorge Masvidal. “The left knows no boundaries! They say they are the nonviolent ones. They will stop at nothing! Make sure you take screenshots of lefties celebrating what happened today.”
“Trump is a complete barbarian,” said former middleweight champion Sean Strickland. “Guy gets shot and stays for his people.”
Trump has long had a strong connection to the UFC. During the organization’s early and dark years, the billion-dollar businessman turned politician hosted cards at the Trump Taj Mahal in New Jersey.
Decades later, as MMA became mainstream with the UFC as its flagship promotion, Trump often sat next to UFC president Dana White at the biggest tournaments.