U.S. Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, shared the video below of President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attending a UFC fight in Miami this weekend, while Vice President JD Vance was in Pakistan, where he was unable to negotiate a peace deal with Iranian diplomats.
Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee amplified the video and added: “The Secretary of State skipped the Iran negotiations in Pakistan to attend a UFC fight. So did the Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, while Pakistan has no confirmed U.S. ambassador. Tens of thousands of Americans are in harm’s way. Gas prices are rising. This is not serious leadership. It’s amateur hour.”
The Secretary of State skipped the Iran negotiations in Pakistan to attend a UFC fight. So did the Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, while Pakistan has no confirmed U.S. ambassador.
Tens of thousands of Americans are in harm’s way. Gas prices are rising. This is not… https://t.co/Tk67ySij5H
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems (@HouseForeign) April 12, 2026
[NOTE: In August, Trump named Gor as his nominee for Ambassador to India and as his special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh is Pakistan’s current Ambassador to the U.S.]
While MAGA loyalists are replying with supportive comments about Trump and Rubio at the fight (“real President, real crowd, real energy”), Trump critics are responding with comments including, “Ridiculous and says a lot about MAGA that you made this post. Such an unserious, corrupt administration filled to the gills with people whose only real qualifications are they are self-serving like Trump and are loyal to him over America.”
After the fight, UFC President Dana White, a long-time Trump ally, said at a press conference that the President asked why one fighter, Derrick Lewis, wasn’t participating in the upcoming UFC event at the White House.
HILARIOUS: UFC President Dana White: “The president said to me, ‘Why is Derek Lewis not on the White House card?’ I said, ‘I’ll be back in five minutes.’ I went and called Derrick Lewis. I said, ‘The president wants to know why you’re not on the White House Card and Derrick Lewis… pic.twitter.com/JORMtxlYR1
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 12, 2026
White told reporters: “The president said to me, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?’ I said, ‘I’ll be back in five minutes.’ I went and called Derrick Lewis. I said, ‘The president wants to know why you’re not on the White House Card and Derrick Lewis said, ‘Politics. Politics kept me off the White House card.’”
White, who proved to be a quicker negotiator than Vance, added, “I said, ‘Do you want to fight on the card?’ and he said, ‘I absolutely want to fight on the card. Tell the president thank you.’”
Trump’s critics, citing his focus on such small-ball concerns while the U.S. attacks in Iran have failed to stir up regime change (as hoped) and oil prices surge, portray a president and an administration whose priorities are a danger to America.
In response to the Trump-Rubio fight night out, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) wrote: “Why were the President and Secretary of State at a UFC fight tonight—while two real estate bros and the VP were trying to negotiate ending a war? And we’re wondering why it failed?”