Joe Rogan recounted President Donald Trump’s odd response after the podcaster said he hoped there wasn’t a terrorist attack at the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event.
Some 4,000 people gathered on the White House’s South Lawn last Sunday to watch seven UFC fights play out in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary (and Trump’s 80th birthday). Several business leaders and celebrities were in attendance, along with members of Trump’s family and cabinet officials.
Rogan, who was a commentator for the event, described it as an “amazing night” on Saturday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. But moments later, the podcaster recalled a strange conversation he had with the president that evening.
“I said to Trump, ‘I hope we don’t die in a terrorist attack.’ He goes, ‘We gotta go somehow,’” Rogan said. “I go, ‘What the f***, dude?’”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
Two days after the fight night, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of five men who allegedly plotted to attack the event and kill government officials. The men planned to deploy explosive-laden drones around the event and use snipers to fire at “high value targets” in the fleeing crowd, according to federal prosecutors
The suspects were arrested in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California last weekend and face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, among other charges, and a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
Investigators uncovered firearms, “a large quantity” of ammunition, tactical gear and encrypted messages discussing sniper locations, “potential drone launch locations” and other plans, according to court filings. Members of the group “believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt” and “expressed a desire that people who were involved with Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country,” investigators wrote.
Rogan previously suggested he had safety concerns about the UFC event and hit out at the organizers for hosting the fights outside.
“That seems like a good safe place to be, huh?” he said last month during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.
“Everyone’s going to know where all the world leaders are going to be. We’re all going to be stuck sitting in that spot for six hours calling fights. Super safe. I feel completely safe,” Rogan said.
“I think world championship fights should be in a controlled environment out of respect for the athletes and how difficult it is to compete professionally in a world title,” he added.
But after the event, Rogan called it the “greatest” fight night of “all time.”
“That was the wildest experience that I’ve ever had in my 20-whatever-years of calling combat sports. There’s nothing even close,” he said on Wednesday’s episode of his podcast.
“It was the only night in the history of the sport where every single fight ended by knockout,” he added.
