A recent dinner arranged by musician Kid Rock between President Donald Trump and comedian Bill Maher sparked considerable media attention, largely due to their historically strained relationship. The question arose: how did UFC CEO Dana White become part of this unusual gathering?
While White`s friendship with Trump is widely known – with the former president even attending UFC 314 in Miami – his presence at this dinner wasn`t directly linked to Trump. Instead, his invitation stemmed from his connection to Kid Rock and his past appearance on Maher’s podcast, Club Random. It appears Kid Rock, anticipating potential friction between Trump and Maher given their history of public clashes, sought White`s presence as backup.
“Kid Rock was constantly calling, saying, ‘I need help – I got Bill Maher and Donald Trump to have dinner, and if things get heated, I don’t want to be alone. Can you fly out?’” White recounted to Fox News.
Kid Rock’s apprehension was arguably justified, considering Trump`s previous $5 million lawsuit against Maher in 2013 after Maher jokingly offered to donate that sum to charity if Trump could prove he wasn`t descended from an orangutan.
Despite this past animosity, White described the dinner between Trump and Maher as surprisingly amicable. He even obtained a signed memento from the evening, which he intends to display in his UFC office.
“The first thing that happened was Bill Maher walked into the Oval Office, where the president and I were, holding a piece of paper listing every insult the president had directed at him over the years,” White shared. “It was a list of about 100 names, which was quite amusing.”
“Luckily, Maher had two copies of the list. I got them both signed, and I`m going to frame one for my office.”
Maher himself discussed this event on his HBO show Real Time, mentioning that presenting the list of insults served as an icebreaker, and seemingly, it worked.
“I brought this to the White House hoping he would sign it, which he did,” Maher explained. “He did it with good humor, and I know some might be surprised to hear that. I`m just reporting what happened. You can form your own opinions.”
White mentioned that he mostly observed as Trump and Maher discussed various topics, but he found the entire experience to be positive.
“The most remarkable aspect of the meeting was seeing two people with long-standing dislike for each other, holding opposing viewpoints, come together to talk,” White stated.
“Kid Rock and I often say that no one leaves a meeting or dinner with Donald Trump disliking him. It’s almost impossible, and if someone claims otherwise, they’re likely not being truthful.”
While not the focus of the meeting, White recounted a humorous exchange with Maher upon their arrival at the White House.
White, who typically dresses casually even when visiting Trump, was contrasted by Maher, who arrived in a full suit and playfully teased White for his lack of formal attire.
“The president always jokes with me about not wearing suits,” White said. “Bill Maher walks into the Oval Office in a suit and says, ‘There was no way I was showing up without a suit.’ Maher then joked, looking at me, ‘You look like you’re wearing the Zelenskyy collection.’ It was all in good fun.”
“There was a lot of insightful and intelligent conversation between Maher and the president, while Kid Rock and I mostly listened and let them have their time. It was great.”
Reflecting on the dinner, Maher admitted that his perception of Trump differed from his public persona, though it didn`t necessarily change his political views.
White echoed this sentiment, suggesting that such dialogues between individuals with differing ideologies could bridge divides that might otherwise persist through media and social media exchanges.
“That’s what needs to happen,” White concluded. “People with opposing views should engage in conversation, disagree, instead of resorting to hatred.
“It’s acceptable to disagree. You`ll never agree with everything anyone says, including friends, family, or the President. Disagreement doesn`t necessitate animosity.”
