When Nate Bargatze attended a UFC event tightly linked to MAGA politics, online outrage erupted instantly. Disappointed fans flooded comment sections claiming they could no longer support the clean-cut comic, tickets were resold at half price, and labels like “MAGA Nate” began circulating across social media.
While Bargatze’s representative emphasized that the comedian “is not political nor is anything he produces” and simply went “to enjoy a sport he loves,” the backlash persisted.
Maron pushed back against the online mobbing and offered a nuanced, highly personal defense of his fellow stand-up in a recent podcast appearance.
Addressing the sudden outrage over Bargatze’s alleged political leanings, Maron argued that the backlash felt fundamentally misplaced.
“It’s like, look, I don’t think he’s that, but if you didn’t know he was Republican years ago, you were not looking,” Maron said.
Rather than viewing the appearance as a grand ideological statement, Maron chalked it up to simple social circumstance and peer pressure.
He said, “I think Shane [Gillis] probably called him up and said, ‘You got to go.’ And he’s like, ‘Alright.’ You know, I mean, I know that guy.”
Beyond analyzing the optics, Maron made a point to affirm his genuine affection for Bargatze, showing how professional respect can easily bridge political divides.
“After he got so much flak because, because I love Nate, you know, I truly do, and I think he’s a funny guy,” Maron shared. “I think he’s really fun and we have a fun relationship and we couldn’t be more different in some ways. But we have a lot of respect for each other.”
Maron even reached out directly during the peak to check on Bargatze’s well-being.
“After he got all all that flak in the pile-on, I texted him. I’m like, ‘You okay, man?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I didn’t go on anything.’ And he said, ‘I did think about, you know, whether you’d be mad at me or not.'”
That impulse to check in highlights a mutual affection grounded in comedic craft. Later in the discussion, Maron praised Bargatze’s technical discipline on stage, contrasting his understated style with comics who rely on cheap tricks to command an audience.
“You know their commitment is has got to be respected almost more than others, that you know someone like Nate even, that like they work at one speed,” Maron noted. “And to try to find your voice at one speed it’s a long halt.”
