Joe Rogan had the time of his life at UFC Freedom 250. The long-time UFC color commentator sat cageside and marveled over the seven-fight spectacle UFC had spent $60 million to put together. He liked it so much, in fact, that the 58-year-old recently asked the critics of the event to “shut the f–k up” on his podcast with author Chase Hughes. But now, former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has clapped back.

“I wish I could sit down with you face to face and explain why so many of us were offended by the UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House,” Hunter Biden wrote on X. “For me, it had nothing to do with the UFC or who showed up for the fights. The brand you and Dana have built is a bona fide American success story… As for the fighters… anyone brave enough to put it all on the line in the arena is remarkable to witness.

“And as for the people who attended, I, for one, love Shane Gillis. I think he’s hilarious and brilliant. It was a show. A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to witness it firsthand.”

As Biden pointed out, a similar event may never unfold again. UFC CEO Dana White echoed the same sentiment, especially because of the scale and expenditure involved in putting together such a spectacle. And Rogan, who has worked with the UFC for over two decades and has been a long-time Trump supporter, understood that, and it only made it more impressive for the color commentator. But Biden didn’t agree. 

“I believe some of our public spaces are sacred,” Biden added. “And unlike many of the great powers that came before us, these American monuments belong to all of us. Not to whoever happens to hold power at the moment.

The White House does not belong to Donald Trump. It does not belong to any President. It belongs to the people. To treat it as Caesar treated the Colosseum is antithetical to everything our founding fathers fought for.

“… Presidents are not emperors doling out bread and circuses for the peasants… This ‘celebration’ could have happened in any stadium within a stone’s throw of the South Lawn. No one would have had an issue with it. But that was obviously Donald Trump’s whole point. By holding the event on the South Lawn, what he was saying to the rest of us is: ‘This is my house. I own it. I will do with it what I please. I’ll build a colosseum and have the gladiators fight under my gaze. I’ll tear down the East Wing. I’ll pave over the Rose Garden. I’ll cover everything in gold and marble. I’ll erase the names of all the men who came before me.’

“The fights were an exhibition of imperial domination, not a celebration of our 250th anniversary as a democracy. The White House is not Buckingham Palace. It is not the Palace of Versailles. It is not the Forbidden City of Beijing. It does not belong to an emperor, or a king, or a commissar. The White House belongs to us. All of us. The person who sits behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office is nothing more than an honored guest. A temporary caretaker. The President is our servant. Not our Caesar.”

Biden ended his message by calling for a fight against Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. anywhere but the White House. This, however, wasn’t the first time Biden has spoken out against the event. 

Joe Rogan changes tune over UFC Freedom 250

Last week, Hunter Biden criticized the event’s political undertones during a conversation with California Governor Gavin Newsom. Those political undertones may also explain why several celebrities, including Dwayne Johnson, Adam Sandler, Jared Leto, and others, declined invitations to attend. Many critics viewed the event as more of a celebration of Donald Trump’s 80th birthday than a commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.

The absence of celebrities was particularly notable because figures like ‘The Rock’ have attended UFC events in the past without hesitation. The event also drew criticism for staging fighter walkouts through several rooms inside the White House. While these spaces served as dramatic entrances for the athletes, they are traditionally reserved for high-level diplomatic functions, leading some critics to argue that the spectacle diminished their significance. 

The controversy intensified further after brawls broke out near the Ellipse, where an estimated 85,000 spectators had gathered to watch the event. The biggest talking point, however, has been Joe Rogan’s apparent change of heart. Before the event, Rogan criticized the decision to stage UFC fights outdoors, arguing that championship bouts should not be held in open-air venues because of the potential impact on the fighters. 

After attending the event, however, he appeared to soften his stance. While  Rogan may have changed his mind, some didn’t want the event to happen. Days before the event was scheduled to take place on the White House South Lawn, it faced a federal lawsuit from the Public Integrity Project, which sought to block it from going ahead. A judge ultimately dismissed the case, ruling that the challenge had been filed too late to halt the event.

At the end of the day, the event was a success, whether people liked it or not. Although Hunter Biden makes great points to support his criticism, it’s difficult to overlook his bias as a political rival.