Dana White was asked directly whether he regretted putting Josh Hokit on the UFC White House card after Hokit made comments about Michelle Obama that White himself described as “disgusting.”
While White strongly condemned the remarks during a press conference, he made it clear that he did not regret booking Hokit for the event.
“No, I mean, listen, there’s always going to be people that say things that most of us don’t agree with,” White said. Reflecting on the timing and circumstances surrounding the comments, he added, “I mean, just the time, the place, the, you know…”
White then used the question as an opportunity to explain his views on politics and respect for elected leaders, regardless of party affiliation.
“I’ve said many times, listen, I voted for Obama the first time, didn’t vote for him the second time,” White said.
He recalled an interaction with former President Barack Obama that left a lasting impression on him.
“Then when I was at the inauguration, he was sitting in front of me and then I saw all this stuff on the internet where people like, ‘Oh, Dana’s mad dog,'” White said.
According to White, Obama went out of his way to acknowledge him despite the political differences people assumed existed between them.
“And Obama, Obama’s the only one that turned around to me. Couldn’t have been a nicer guy and said, ‘Congratulations on all your success and everything that you’ve done,'” White recalled. “I said, ‘Thank you, Mr. President.'”
White went on to criticize what he sees as a growing tendency among Americans to reject political opponents outright.
“I don’t believe in this,” he said. “Like all the people that h*te Trump, ‘he’s not my president.’ All the people that h*ted Biden, ‘he’s not my president.'”
White argued that regardless of political preferences, Americans should recognize and respect whoever occupies the office.
“I got some bad news for you,” he said. “If you’re an American, that’s your president. And I respect all presidents, present and past.”
The UFC CEO also acknowledged that supporting free speech means hearing opinions and comments that many people find offensive or objectionable.
“Not everybody does,” White said when discussing respect for public figures and differing viewpoints. “And you got to listen to things like that sometimes, unfortunately, because I also believe in free speech.”
White gave no indication that Hokit would face any consequences from the promotion beyond the public criticism and fallout that followed the comments.
