UFC president Dana White argued on a May 22 podcast that President Donald Trump isn’t racist, pointing to Trump’s relationship with the late Michael Jackson and his defense of Jackson as allegations swirled. The exchange with New Yorker editor David Remnick tu
For Dana White, the argument against President Donald Trump being racist didn’t come from policy or polling. It came from a relationship — and a pop culture figure nearly impossible to ignore.
In a podcast interview published on May 22 with The New Yorker editor David Remnick. the UFC president. a Trump loyalist and longtime friend of the president. defended Trump as nondiscriminatory by citing Trump’s connection to the late Michael Jackson. White referenced the “Michael” movie and a wave of videos circulating of Trump defending Jackson. “These things that [say] he’s a racist and he’s a Nazi and he’s this and that — I mean. Donald Trump. all this stuff’s coming out now. ” White said. “You know. the ‘Michael’ movie just came out. and you see all these videos now popping up of Trump defending Michael Jackson and the type of person that he was. and that Michael Jackson was around his children and around his family a lot.”.
Remnick appeared struck by the example. “But wait a minute, Dana. Michael Jackson — as talented as he was, as brilliant as he was — was a deeply, deeply flawed human being, to say the least,” he said. “And was abusive [from] everything we know about him.”
White agreed that Jackson was flawed, saying there was “no doubt” about that. But he pressed on the framing of abuse. “To kids, yes. It’s terrible,” Remnick replied, referring to the several child sexual abuse allegations Jackson faced throughout his career. Remnick noted that Jackson denied the accusations and was acquitted in a criminal trial in 2005. Jackson maintained his innocence until he died in 2009.
White didn’t retreat. “I don’t know if that’s true. but I can tell you the president had a very good relationship with Michael Jackson and had Michael Jackson around his kids all the time. ” White said. “And you know, [Trump] defended him when that stuff was going down. So to call the guy a racist is crazy. He’s not a racist.”.
The tension shifted quickly to a different kind of evidence: not who a president associated with, but what he posted.
Remnick asked whether White got “the willies” from Trump posting a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes earlier this year. “But that doesn’t give you pause, Dana?” Remnick pressed. White answered with a personal rule for judgment. “If he was that type of person. I never would associate with that type of a person. no matter who he was. ” he argued.
Remnick pushed back again, asking, “But if he does that, how is he not that kind of person?” White doubled down. “he’s not,” he said.
Earlier in the same episode, White had taken aim at what he described as a political story about Trump. He called out the “gross” narrative Democrats have put on the president. saying it was “absolutely. positively not true.” Remnick challenged that framing. telling White the negative rhetoric surrounding Trump didn’t “come from outer space.” White insisted it did. “Oh, it does. It comes from politics. That’s where it comes from.” Remnick countered by pointing to Trump’s own words and behavior. saying it comes from his rhetoric and his way of treating people and talking about people.
White responded with a different emphasis. arguing that the president’s lack of restraint — at least online — is part of the problem rather than discrimination. “No. I think that. listen. did I wish that back in the day. he’d stay off Twitter a little bit more and things like. listen. he’s a tough guy. and he’s not afraid to give his opinion. ” White said.
The episode leaves the central disagreement raw: Remnick forces the conversation toward allegations and language, while White leans on association and defense — insisting that despite what critics say, Trump’s record of relationships and public stances show he isn’t a racist.
Dana White UFC Donald Trump racism allegations Michael Jackson David Remnick The New Yorker podcast interview Barack Obama Michelle Obama Twitter child sexual abuse allegations acquitted 2005