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for the UFC. I think it's great. It's It's beyond great. It's literally the perfect scenario. But as far as the go I'm gonna I'm an economics major. I love studying politics on the political side of things. Not the UFC's business. That is of course they're going to say yes to it. But what I think personally is that our government is desecrating uh its role in society by entertaining sports. Um, our government is to protect and serve the people and, uh, really should be as minimal as possible. And when you're when you're doing all of this stuff, hosting sporting events, um, it's really outside of what the goal of the government was intended to be because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation. And like I said, I'm not criticizing the UFC. I love Dana. I love Hunter. I love Shawn, Mick. I love all of them. And it's a it's an amazing thing. It's a once in a-lifetime thing, but the government should never be hosting sporting events because uh there's more room for corruption and we already have a corrupted government. And so that's my thoughts on it is that the government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us.
That was UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell speaking common sense about today's UFC fight at the White House. And look, I've said this before and I'll say it again. I'm not against the UFC. I was a wrestler for a decade. I love the sport. I love combat sports and I think nothing builds character and discipline quite like contending with the physical and mental and emotional aspects of those sports from cutting weight to the brutal one-on-one battle. My past in that sport probably contributed more to my work ethic today than anything else. Because frankly, once you can do that, everything else seems easy by comparison. Which is to say, again, this is not a knock on the UFC or MMA mixed martial arts more broadly, but it is a knock on the US government spending its time, its resources, its money on hosting blood sports for the president's taxpayer funded birthday party. Like, what are we doing here? We've got a country where Americans are hurting. And Trump knows that because that is the exact issue he exploited on the campaign trail for votes. He talked about groceries and rent and housing and the price of an egg. That's how tuned in he was to high costs and everyday problems. He was speaking up about the price of eggs. This guy literally claimed that his agenda would be America first. And yet the moment he took power, he completely shedded his populous skin and became who he really is, a billionaire autocrat looking to consolidate more power, wealth, attention, and influence onto himself. And so he didn't lower costs. He raised them by launching a trade war that he refused to back down from because doing so would be a hit to his ego. He didn't protect healthcare. He cut it because he needed some funding to offset his tax cuts that disproportionately helped millionaires and billionaires like him. He didn't release the Epstein files. He moved mountains to hide them, suppress them because he wanted to protect himself and his association with Jeffrey Epstein. He didn't lower inflation. He sent it soaring 33% higher than when Joe Biden left office. He didn't keep gas prices down. He caused them to skyrocket by launching a war in the Middle East that he swore he'd avoid. On every single issue, one by one, he broadcast that he would govern in stark contrast to how he campaigns. Because how he campaigned was just a scam to get the gullible rubes to give them their votes. He never intended to actually keep any of his promises. And he's putting as much on full display right now. And yet here even UFC fighters themselves, the people who have every interest in the world to cheer on this event are coming out and saying, "What are we doing? Why is the US government focused on this instead of, oh, I don't know, governing?" As Bryce Mitchell says, "The government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us." And he's right. And we're not being protected. Too many Americans are without food, without health care, without housing, without a job. That's not protecting Americans. that is leaving them out in the cold to fend for themselves. And these problems have only gotten worse under Trump's administration.
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And look, I don't exactly agree 100% with the idea that the government shouldn't get involved in sports. I tend to think that sports are very political, inherently political. For example, at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Nazis used the global stage that they got from hosting the Olympics to promote propaganda for Aryan supremacy and present Germany as some peaceful tolerance country. But the games became a powerful symbol of resistance against Nazi ideology, especially as one black athlete, American Jesse Owens, won four gold medals, which directly contradicted claims of white racial superiority. Sports are absolutely political, beautifully political. But the difference is that sports have been used to push back against dangerous ideologies to promote diversity and inclusion to mend fences and heal international disputes. But in this instance today, it's just one self-important desperate using the UFC as his entertainment on his birthday. There's no big lesson to learn here. No historical significance, no fight to bend the arc of history toward justice. Trump just wants his entertainment. So, he built a ring and he's going to struggle to stay awake so that he can clap like a seal as the plebs fight each other in front of him. And let's be clear, just as UFC fighters themselves can see that, so can Americans. Here's the approval of this thing across the country.
>> Yeah, let's just say this much. They do not like it. They don't like it. I like you, Amar, but Americans don't find this thing to be appropriate. Take it here. Take a look here. UFC White House fights are appropriate. Just 16% Just 16% overall. And among Republicans, even among Republicans, you know, the diehard base Republican party with Trump through thick and thin, just 31% of Republicans, his approval rating amongst Republicans overall, as you know, usually hovers a little bit north of 80%. So, we're talking 50 points lower here. And, you know, this overall, you know, being 16%, you know, what is it like 28% of Americans, you know, believe in telepathy. So, this is even below that.
>> Does this fall into a broader pattern with the White House and voters minds? Yeah, I think this is the big problem here, Omar, which is, you know, uh, Americans just don't think that Donald Trump and this White House is in touch with them because, you know, they put on stuff like that that Americans don't really care about. Take a look here. Say the White House is out of touch with people like you. 60% overall, we're talking about three and five Americans. And look among independents, 80% of independents say that the White House is out of touch with people like them. So all of a sudden you have a White House that is putting on potentially putting on events such as this UFC fights and you know Americans top issue is inflation and what's Trump's net approval rating on that like minus 50 and you go to yourself okay appropriate no on the UFC fights and then you put it together with what they actually care about. No wonder that the American people say 60% say the White House is out of touch with people like them and 80% of independents.
>> I mean it's a big push. Why do you think Trump loves the UFC so much?
>> Yeah. Okay. You know, we've seen Donald Trump go to these UFC fights before, right? We see that there may be UFC fights, you know, on the White House lawn come this weekend. And, you know, it's because the UFC and MMA is a safe space. It is a safe space. It's a nice place. It's warm and lovely for the president of United States. Party party ID league among fans of MMA. Look at this. Republicans hold the lead among MMA fans. Look at that. Plus 14 versus soccer. If he goes to the World Cup, I don't think that's going to be friendly territory for for the president. Look at that. Democrats hold the party ID lead there, a plus 12. And we know that Donald Trump was booed at the Garden. Look at that. Democrats hold a 20 eight-point lead. I'm fans of the NBA.
So look, I get that Trump needs attention the way the rest of us need air to breathe. But if you want to watch human fighting by the UFC, the US government, the White House grounds are not a reality show. No matter how many reality TV stars you staff it with, no matter how many events you host, no matter how many crazy news stories you try to break to garner eyeballs, it should be about helping people. That's it. But when you've got a megalomaniacal narcissist in office who views his power as limitless, the priority goes from helping Americans to enriching himself. Trump is in it for one person and one person alone, and it's not a single one of us. Hopefully, today's event on the south lawn of the White House will finally drive that point home to the remaining 16% of of Americans who still can't see it.
Before you go, I'm very excited to announce that I've written a new book titled The Day After: How to Wield Power in a PostTrump World. The book explores what is, in my opinion, the single most important theme that we're dealing with in politics today and moving forward. Power. specifically how Republicans abuse it and how Democrats refuse to wield it. This book explains how we got here and more importantly, how we should finally wield power if we're fortunate enough to get it back. It is the blueprint for progressives who want to do far more than just restore the status quo. Please pre-order today by visiting the link in the episode description or go to brianylcohen.com/book. You can grab yours from any of the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or find an independent bookstore closest to you that's also listed on that website. Thanks so much for supporting Independent Media.