Georgia Senator and Reverend Raphael Warnock has called on President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance to condemn the comment UFC fighter Josh Hokit made about former First Lady Michelle Obama during a White House event on Sunday. Warnock posted a clip of his interview with MSNBC on X, saying that both Trump and Vance do “not get a pass” and should respond.
The issue stems from a comment Hokit made following his victory at a UFC event hosted on the White House South Lawn to celebrate Trump’s 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary. During his post-fight interview, the fighter reportedly shouted into a microphone, “Michelle Obama is a man, am I right America?”
The moment quickly went viral, drawing both support and criticism online.
Reacting to the incident, Warnock praised the former First Lady during the interview. He said that attacks questioning her gender were rooted in prejudice and reflected a history of discrimination against Black women.
“Michelle Obama is one of the most dignified people one could ever meet,” Warnock stated. “This idea that black women aren’t really women and black people aren’t really people harkens to the darkest days in our country’s history. This is not political speech. This is immoral speech. This is bigotry. This is evil come alive in words, because words have power.”
The Georgia Democrat went on to criticize Trump and Vance for not publicly condemning Hokit’s “hate[ful]” comment. He said that the Trump administration has “unleashed a kind of evil” in the country where people can now casually “diminish” one another. He also questioned how Vance, who is married to a woman of color, would react if similar remarks were directed at his wife.
Netizens React to Georgia Senator’s Remarks
Many conservatives reacting to the clip on X questioned why the senator felt it was appropriate to involve Trump and Vance in the controversy. “A UFC fighter speaks his truth and you blame Trump? Try harder,” one commenter wrote. Another asked, “Now what did J.D possibly do? Did he say ‘black kid’?”
Some people argued that Democrats were guilty of the same behavior Warnock was condemning. “We would have to stop listening to Democrats then. They are the ones that spread the most hate and bigotry,” one X user claimed. Someone else said, “It is the Democrats who are the haters and the spreaders of lies and propaganda.”
Others also accused the senator of making the incident about race. “Pushing race again. Keeping that race card alive,” one person remarked. “Why are you race baiting as a man of God?,” another mocked. A third added, “Democrats have been stirring the race pot since 1963.”
The Georgia senator is not the only public figure calling for a response to Hokit’s remarks. Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports and a Trump supporter, said the fighter deserved to be immediately denounced by the president.
