Trump facing pressure to condemn UFC fighter for disparaging Michelle Obama

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 and co-host of The View on the ABC network, addressed the controversy on Monday’s show. “For a long time – and the roots are in slavery – Black women have been slurred and made to feel that they were unattractive, made to feel that they were masculine, made to feel that they didn’t have the femininity that a white woman would have,” she said. …