Former Trump aide praises Michelle Obama's grace after UFC fighter's objectionable remarks

The list of voices condemning mixed martial arts fighter Josh Hokit over his derogatory remarks about former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event keeps growing. Former deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews told CNN that Obama had carried herself with "so much grace and dignity" despite years of "crazy" and "baseless" attacks. "She has not been the first lady for nearly a decade, and yet she continues to live rent-free in these losers' heads," she averred.

Hokit had remarked that the former First Lady "is a man" after presenting his chain and medallion to U.S. President Donald Trump. The condemnation was swift, and spanned the political spectrum, from liberals to conservatives, with the notable exception of Trump himself. Matthews pointed out that the President had previously shown a willingness to push back against similar attacks, citing his past defence of French First Lady Brigitte Macron and conservative commentator Candace Owens against unfounded claims.

"We have seen Trump willing to condemn conspiracy theories like this," she said, arguing that his silence on the attacks against Michelle Obama was a conspicuous departure from his own precedent. "It makes you wonder what the difference is between those two women in his eyes," she continued, adding that expecting Trump to say or do the right thing is useless and disappointing.

"Look, this is the guy who posted a racist meme of the Obamas depicted as monkeys. This is a guy who posts memes depicting himself as Jesus Christ. There's no decency or decorum in this White House," she concluded. Her remarks not only add to mounting pressure on the administration to take a clear stance against Hokit's transphobic and racist slur but also renew scrutiny over the tone of public discourse around the former first lady, who is being subjected to an escalating pattern of targeted attacks.

Matthews was not the only conservative to denounce Hokit's statement. Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports and a Trump voter, said that such remarks need to be condemned immediately, especially if they were made at an event on the White House South lawn. "I don't care what you think about the Obamas or anything. I have no problem with the event. I guess you run that risk because these guys are lunatics. But that was the only thing. Trump should denounce it."

UFC Chief Executive Dana White also distanced himself from the remarks, telling Time magazine that while he understood the Obamas were public figures, he was "completely against saying nasty and false things about people's families." Democrats were less measured in their response. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) took to X with a sharper rebuke: "The dude who puked on himself live on TV during his weigh-in, is hurling insults at the former First Lady now?"