Donald Trump arrives at UFC 309 at MSG; the crowd roars for the president-elect weeks after a historic meeting

Donald Trump made a triumphant return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night as the president-elect with a star-studded entourage, basking in thunderous applause from fans at UFC 309 just weeks after staging a historic bout in “The World’s Most Famous Arena” .

Trump, making his first UFC appearance since winning the Nov. 5 election over Vice President Kamala Harris, entered with an entourage that included UFC president Dana White, Elon Musk, Speaker Mike Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Kid Rock, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ., Tulsi Gabbard and sons Donald Jr. and Eric.

When he came through the tunnel next to White and appeared for all to see, the reception was deafening, according to the broadcast team.

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“If people at home could hear the sound in this room right now. It’s so loud!” Joe Rogan said on the pay-per-view broadcast. “It’s always loud when he comes in, but now that he’s won (the election), now that he’s president again, oh my God!”

The broadcast added that those who could stand inside the arena did so as the video board began playing a video montage of Trump’s arrival. Chants of “USA! USA!” also filled the arena.

As the crowd erupted, Trump made his way to the ringside announcers table, where he embraced podcast king and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Trump appeared on Rogan’s popular podcast on October 25, where he participated in a freewheeling discussion that lasted about three hours. Harris declined to do the show, and Rogan would later endorse Trump.

Anticipation had been building all week that Trump would show up at the game, and rumors were confirmed by Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy director of communications, who recorded video of the president-elect getting on his jet to travel to New York.

A photo from inside the jet showed Trump watching the opening games with RFK Jr., whom he named earlier this week as his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy, who began the 2024 campaign as the Democratic nominee, suspended his bid and teamed up with Trump in August, becoming a powerful surrogate and close confidant in the final months of the race.

Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate in early 2024 who dropped out of the race and threw his support behind Trump, tweeted a photo of him with Kid Rock at the Madison Square Garden game. It was not clear whether they flew with Trump or traveled separately.

Ramaswamy and Musk have been tapped to lead what Team Trump calls the Department of Government Efficiency, which intends to root out trillions of dollars in waste and fraud in the federal budget.

Trump and White are longtime friends, the latter appearing several times during Trump’s campaign leading up to the election.

DONALD TRUMP GOES TO UFC 309, EXPECTED TO GET FULL HOLE AFTER ELECTION VICTORY

White, who said Trump is a “huge fan” of mixed martial arts, was nervous about the rumors that Trump was heading to the garden during an interview with TMZ Sports.

“I think anything is possible,” White said with a smile. “Who knows? He could come in.”

White added that a majority of his organization’s fan base has shown love for Trump over the years.

“When you think about fighter streaks, when a fighter goes out to (the Octagon), I think the two biggest ones that actually rock the arena are President Trump and Conor McGregor,” White said. “If he comes (Saturday) night, it will be fun for sure.”

Trump appeared at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for UFC 302 in June, where thunderous applause also rained down from the crowd.

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who is back in the Octagon after more than two years since his last fight, is a noted Trump supporter and was hoping he would be in attendance.

“I saw Trump and he said, ‘I’m either going to be there on November 16 because we won the election or, if I lost, I’m going to be depressed and I’m not going to show up.'” Obviously, he won the election , so it sounds like he’s going to be there,” Chandler said.

Chandler added that it would be an “honor” to win his battle ahead of Trump.

Trump’s Oct. 27 rally at Madison Square Garden was a landmark event in his campaign and featured a line-up of speakers that rivaled a political convention.

Dozens of elected leaders; Trump’s sons, Don Jr. and Eric; wife Melania, Musk; and running mate JD Vance all spoke before Trump took the stage. The rally drew a packed house and thousands more supporters roamed the streets outside the legendary arena.

White also spoke at the MSG rally, warning voters that Harris is the “status quo” of an America he believed was in desperate need of change.

“She can get your party’s nomination without even meeting the voters,” White said. “What else? What else can she offer the American people but vague promises and no plan?

“She talks a lot about the need for change and her hope for the future. Hope and change. Sound familiar? She can use the old Obama playbook, but she’s not Obama, and she’s no agent of change. She is, she hopes, that voters will focus on the future because she doesn’t want us to look at the last four years to see what we really need to change.”

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Chandler is part of the co-main event for UFC 309 and will fight Charles Oliveira. Jon “Bones” Jones also steps into the Octagon after a long layoff and will be an overwhelming favorite over Stipe Miocic.

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