Dana White has claimed he wants “nothing to do with” politics, branding it “gross and disgusting” – despite him having been a fixture of Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship chief executive has been an ardent Trump supporter since the president-elect first decided to run for the White House in 2015.
During the 2024 election cycle, White, 55, made remarks at three of the Republican’s most important events: the Republican National Convention, Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in October and his election night party at Mar-a-Lago.
But now, the UFC figurehead has seemingly done a u-turn on politics and, while he was there to support his “friend” and longtime UFC fan Trump this time around, any future GOP presidential candidates will have to go it alone.
“I’m never f***ing doing this again,” White told the New Yorker on Tuesday, about his involvement in politics.
“I want nothing to do with this s***. It’s gross. It’s disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics.”
Despite apparently becoming jaded with politics, White is still very much a Trump supporter.
“Donald Trump is tougher and more bada** than anybody,” White continued. “You can only pray that you’re a quarter of the man that Donald Trump was when a guy tried to take seven shots at his head with a high powered rifle with a f***ing scope on it.”
Along with the then-Republican candidate’s aggressive new media strategy targeting “bro” podcasters, a strategy which a campaign source dubbed “Trump on steroids” at the time, White was credited with helping Trump court young male voters thanks to the UFC’s fan demographics.
White himself also played a key role in brokering relationships between Trump and male content creators who are wildly popular with Gen-Z and sympathetic toward his MAGA movement.
“You’re getting conversations in these podcasts, and you yourself, as a young kid, get to really see who Donald Trump is,” he told the New Yorker.
In the early hours of November 6, White joined Trump on stage at Mar-a-Lago as he delivered his election victory speech.
Taking the mic, White specifically thanked podcasters Theo Von, Adin Ross, Andrew Schulz, the Nelk Boys, and the “mighty and powerful” Joe Rogan for helping Trump clinch victory.
White was also seen joining Trump this Sunday at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden where they watched Jon Jones defeat Stipe Miocic. Following his win, the heavyweight champion mimicked Trump’s dance and leaped out the ring to hand him his belt.
