Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...All of Donald Trump’s family seemed to revel in having VIP seats Sunday night for the astonishing spectacle of men beating one another up in violent UFC cage fights on the White House lawn.
That includes his wife, two daughters, daughters-in-law, young grandchildren and his now ubiquitous, influencer granddaughter Kai Trump. It also was reported that Ivanka Trump, Trump’s oldest daughter, was directly involved in planning the controversial UFC Freedom 250 event, which was supposed to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary, as well as Trump’s 80th birthday, according to ESPN.
But it appears that one aspect of Trump’s UFC spectacle, beneath a 600-ton steel-arch contraption called “the Claw,” went too far for Ivanka and Kai Trump, as well as some of the president’s most loyal supporters.
On their social media, the former White House senior adviser and her 19-year-old niece shared plenty of plenty images of themselves before, during and after the event. But they did not share any photos of heavyweight Josh Hokit, who is facing widespread backlash for making a vile joke about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his match over Derrick Lewis.
Ivanka and Kai Trump did, however, share photos of themselves and the Trump family hanging out with new lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who produced an upset victory over Ilia Topuria in what was billed as the headline bout of the event. On her Instagam, Ivanka Trump declared: “Absolutely epic night celebrating UFC Freedom 250 at the White House!”
To be sure, it does not appear that any of the Trumps, other than the president, directly interacted with Hokit. After Hokit’s win, he came to the edge of the ring, bent down and placed a medallion around Trump’s neck, with White House communications adviser Margo Martin capturing the incident on social media.
Josh Hokit gifts
[@POTUS]his chain 🤣🇺🇸[pic.twitter.com/506ZwmKavg]— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47)
[June 15, 2026]
Trump later congratulated Hokit and all the fighters on Truth Social for being “outstanding” and demonstrating such “human speed and power,” the Daily Beast reported.
Hokit sparked outrage for his victory speech to podcaster Joe Rogan. The 28-year-old fighter praised Trump for having “the (expletive)” to stage such an event in front of a national landmark. After shouting out to his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Hokit then looked directly into the camera and said, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right America?”
CNN reported that Trump was seen smiling briefly at Hokit’s remarks, while the rest of the crowd erupted into a mixture of cheers and boos, according to the Daily Beast. Right-wing conspiracy theorists have baselessly claimed for years that the former first lady is a man, the Daily Beast said. BET said that this transphobic and racist conspiracy theory has been used to attack her since she lived in the White House.
As Hokit’s words went viral, UFC CEO Dana White issued a statement to Time, slamming the insult: “I understand that the Obamas are public figures, but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families. Everyone knows my position on free speech, but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
Hokit’s insult also was criticized by Fox News host Jessica Tarlov and MAGA-friendly comedian Shane Gillis, who attended the Freedom 250 event. He told TMZ he “didn’t love” Hokit’s words.
Of course, it’s hard to know the extent to which Ivanka and Kai Trump or other Trump family members went out of their way to avoid being seen with Hokit, or if they were bothered by what he said.
But it would not have been good for either woman’s brand to be photographed with a man who lobbed such a vile insult at a former first lady, and in front of the house where she once lived with her husband, daughters and mother,” as the New York Times reported.
At various points and to varying degrees, both Ivanka and Kai Trump have stepped in to soften Trump’s public persona. They have allowed themselves to be presented as examples for why the swaggering former reality TV star should not be seen as a bully, misogynist or predator — but a family man who cares about women, children and the American people.
Meanwhile, it’s no secret that Hokit has a history of making controversial statements, and he has previously insulted Michelle Obama in a similar way, the Daily Beast reported. Yet, “despite a history of racism and transphobia, Hokit was invited to participate in the event marking the president’s 80th birthday” — and the president’s family eagerly joined in the celebration, according to the Daily Beast.