Donald Trump is set to turn 80 years old this summer, and it appears old age is quickly catching up to him after having a senior moment on live television.
The president looked completely out of his element when he appeared at a UFC event with his family, who seemingly left him hanging in a quick moment captured in front of a stadium full of people.
Over the weekend, Trump was back in front of a UFC crowd in Miami to watch an event headlined by Jiří Procházka versus Carlos Ulberg, and his grand entrance into the Kaseya Center made waves across the internet.
Camera phones were raised in the air inside the venue as Trump walked to his front row seat, waving a raucous audience that responded with a mix of boos and cheers.
His daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, and granddaughter, Kai Trump, were part of his entourage for the night. However, first lady Melania Trump, who recently shocked DC insiders by making a public statement about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, was absent for the UFC fight.
The moment quickly picked up traction online, not just for his demeanor but for the brief interaction where he appeared to clutch a hand who wasn’t the first lady’s, adding to the confusion. Critics say the combination of his body language and the awkward exchange made him look disoriented and out of place, fueling a wave of speculation as people replay the footage and question what exactly was going on in that moment.
UFC CEO Dana White was directly at the president’s side for the overly hyped walkout. Kid Rock’s “American Badass” blasted from the speakers, and Trump soaked in the moment as he shook the hands of people surrounding the MMA cage.
Another abrupt interaction with White, 56, captured the attention of viewers. Trump stepped out from behind the curtains, walking arm-in-arm with the UFC boss. The billionaire businessman seemed to slightly bump into White before the two men’s hands briefly interlocked.
“My favorite part was when he held hands with Dana White, probably thinking Melania was next to him. He has no idea where he is,” one Threads poster wrote as the caption for a screenshot of Trump and White clasping hands.
“He doesn’t even know that she’s not there. Melania is not there, Donnie!!!” joked a Threads user in reaction to Trump clutching White. An additional critic of the POTUS declared, “OMG, Trump is so far gone.”
One observer on the app suggested, “I think he held his hand because he was unbalanced and needed support.” Likewise, someone stated, “He can’t keep his balance.” Two more Trump detractors posted, “He’s scared because they are booing at him” and “I saw that too. Ewwww.”
Speculation that Trump has trouble walking is one element that has created a dark cloud over his second presidency in connection with concerns about the state of his mental and physical health.
View on Threads
A super-viral video from August 2025 shone a bright spotlight on Trump’s fitness when the grandfather of 11 was unable to walk in a straight line when meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Trump veered from left to right as he slowly strolled on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf in Anchorage. His inability to stay in the center of the red carpet laid out for the U.S.-Russia summit spawned countless memes at the president’s expense.
One month earlier, the White House medical team revealed that Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that causes lower leg swelling. Photographers have routinely captured the former reality television star with visibly swollen ankles since his inauguration in January 2025.
Health-related worries are not the only topics in the rumor mill confronting Trump. After tying the knot with Melania, 55, in 2005, the couple’s relationship has remained front-page tabloid news, with interest in the behind-closed-doors details about the union growing even more once they entered the White House.
Melania’s absence from UFC 327: Procházka vs. Ulberg further fed into constant whispers that the first lady is only still married to Trump for personal and political convenience, though she has yet to publicly acknowledge the gossip surrounding the alleged sham marriage.
Skipping the high-profile photo-op on Saturday was particularly noticeable because Melania had previously shown up with Trump for the FIFA Club World Cup Final in July 2025, though she has avoided joining her husband for previous MMA bouts like 2026’s UFC 314 in Miami.
Trump seems to enjoy being a spectator for UFC events, especially because he has maintained a close friendship with White and secured endorsements from MMA personalities such as longtime commentator Joe Rogan, who greeted the president on the Kaseya Center floor.
