Trump facing pressure to condemn UFC fighter for disparaging Michelle Obama

Josh Hokit’s comment, made after the match at the White House, was condemned widely, but not by the president Donald Trump is facing growing pressure to condemn an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor who used a White House appearance to push a sexist, racist and transphobic conspiracy theory about former first lady Michelle Obama. At a UFC event on the south lawn on Sunday, the US president’s 80th birthday, Josh Hokit, a fighter, shouted into the microphone in front of Trump: “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” Trump appeared to show a half-smile seconds after Hokit’s slur, CNN reported, while some in the audience burst into a laughter. The false claim can be traced to far-right echo chambers online. The president himself has a history of making offensive remarks. Hokit’s outburst was widely denounced at the event, which critics had already derided as a tacky and vulgar debasement of the White House, ahead of the 250th anniversary of independence. Donna Brazile, a former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, said: “Michelle Obama’s legacy speaks for itself. Shame on the vile comments from that UFC fighter.” Sunny Hostin, a lawyer, journalist an