Senator JD Vance has downplayed the controversy surrounding a slur directed at Michelle Obama during a UFC event at the White House in June, calling the backlash "totally disproportionate."
Speaking on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Vance expressed surprise that the insult, made by MMA fighter Josh Hokit, became a significant news story. "I work in politics, people say crazy stuff all the time," Vance told host Joe Rogan. "People lost their minds about it."
Vance recounted that his communications team was concerned about potential questions regarding the incident during an appearance on "The View." He questioned the intensity of the reaction, stating, "I was like, ‘What? An amped up fighter told a joke after a fight?’ And that’s actually national news?"
Rogan, who emceed the event held on President Donald Trump's birthday, acknowledged that the comment was inappropriate for the White House setting. "It was not the best thing to say at the White House," Rogan told Vice President Mike Pence, according to Vance.
Vance, however, maintained that the reaction was excessive. "The worst you could say is, ‘Oh, that was an offensive comment,’ and you get on with the rest of your life," he said. "The people who really flip out about it and kind of lose their minds, I don’t understand that."