Comedian Shane Gillis showed up at UFC’s Freedom 250 event at the White House in June – but it took a whole lot of convincing.
“Day-of, I was like, ‘I shouldn’t f***ing go,’” Gillis, 38, said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast on Thursday, August 13.
Rogan, 59, who is also a commentator for UFC, said he was the one who “talked you into doing that.”
Ultimately, Gillis explained, the spectacle of the event – held on the White House’s South Lawn – was too much to pass up.
“I said yes and canceled like four times,” Gillis said. “The last time I canceled was the day before. And then I saw they were doing f***ing dirt bikes on the front lawn and I was like, ‘I gotta see this.’”
He added, “I was at the [Comedy] Cellar and I was like, ‘I don’t feel like f***ing dealing with it.’”
Gillis’ hesitation to support the event stemmed from his current distaste for the Trump administration.
“It’s a crazy time to be like ‘I support this,’” Gillis said, while using a sarcastic thumbs up.
Despite his attendance at UFC Freedom 250, Gillis drew the line at entering the VIP area where other celebrities were intermingling.
“F*** no,” Gillis said. “I knew photos were going to be taken. I stood outside in the rain. I’m like, ‘I’m not getting my picture taken.’”
When confronted with the fact that he posed for a photo with Trump years ago, Gillis explained that things have changed for him since then.
“Back then when I was taking that picture I was like, ‘This guy’s gonna release the Epstein files and no more wars.’ I like that,’” Gillis said.
The comedian added, “Also, still didn’t vote for him. Not a big deal.”
Politics aside, Rogan admitted that he wasn’t the biggest fan of UFC holding an event at the White House – at least initially.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this,’” Rogan said. “I was really like, ‘I don’t want to be a part of this, this is gonna be too much of a zoo. Too crazy.’ I don’t like it for the fighters, you have to fight outside. What if it rains? What if it’s too hot? What if it’s this, what if it’s that? But then I was like, ‘Shut up.’”
He added, “It’s just never going to happen again. It was so insane.”
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