The ex-US president received a standing ovation at an event in New Jersey just two days after his conviction
Former US President Donald Trump was greeted with chants of “we want Trump” and “f**k Joe Biden” at a UFC event in New Jersey that he attended on Saturday.
The former president sat together with UFC boss Dana White ringside for the event. Trump’s appearance was greeted warmly by the crowd, with the ex-president receiving a standing ovation and some supporters seen displaying Trump 2024 flags, footage from the bout shows.
The chant in support of Trump and with a profanity directed at President Joe Biden, his opponent in the 2024 presidential race, was heard several times during the match. At one point, Trump greeted supporters with a raised fist.
The UFC 302 event was headlined by a lightweight championship bout between the current champion, Russia’s Islam Makhachev, and former interim champion, America’s Dustin Poirier. Makhachev defended his title in five rounds, winning by submission.
Trump showed up for the UFC 302 match just two days after being convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The trial was related to the alleged ‘hush money’ payments Trump made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in the wake of the 2016 elections and the falsified paperwork to conceal them.
Trump, who has become the first US president to ever be convicted of a felony, has denied the accusations, branding the whole affair a politically motivated witch hunt, and dismissing the trial as “rigged” and “disgraceful.”
“The real verdict will be on November 5, by the people. And we will keep fighting, and we’ll fight till the end and we’ll win,” Trump told reporters after the verdict was announced. The conviction on 34 counts does not seem to have shaken his supporters, however. The former president’s campaign reportedly broke a fundraising record with an intake of over $34 million after the verdict was announced
