Joe Rogan's anxiety over a possible terrorist attack at UFC Freedom 250 was met with a chilling response from Donald Trump. The event, which coincided with the president's 80th birthday, was staged on the South Lawn of the White House, celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary.
Rogan discussed his safety concerns during a podcast with Trevor Wittman and Justin Gaethje, revealing a conversation he had with Trump. The UFC Freedom 250 event attracted millions of viewers as Gaethje triumphed over Ilia Topuria.
Wittman expressed his nerves, stating, "I was like, 'Dude, there’s like, just again, being around everybody and something could happen.'" He referenced drones that had been intercepted, highlighting the tension surrounding the event.
Gaethje had a more audacious take on the potential for disaster. He quipped, "If I get taken out in the middle of the cage, how f---ing legendary would that be?" This led to Rogan recounting his exchange with Trump about the looming threat of an attack.
Rogan recalled telling Trump, "I hope we don’t die in a terrorist attack." Trump's response? "We got to go somehow." Rogan's incredulous reaction was, "What the f--- dude?" Gaethje chimed in, suggesting that such an event would be unforgettable.
The night concluded without incident, and attendees enjoyed themselves, resulting in a "way better outcome" than the earlier jokes about catastrophe.
Rogan found himself embroiled in another controversy when he exaggerated viewership numbers for the Freedom 250. He claimed that 150 million people tuned in within the first 24 hours, asserting it was one of the most-watched broadcasts ever.
On his post-event podcast, Rogan stated, "I don’t know what the total overall views are as of now, but I know that it was like, well over -- I think it was 150 million just by Monday." He added that an additional 50 million viewers watched later.
The reality was starkly different. The actual viewership was reported to be under 20 million, with 17 million total viewers across the United States and Latin America, averaging 8.2 million according to Paramount+.
One user on X pointed out the discrepancy: "Lmao the other day Joe Rogan was making up bulls--- about 150M viewers while Paramount only has like 80M subscribers and today they announced that it was 17M."
