The viral moment was captured on ESPN's live coverage showing Trump greeting Kennedy with a warm handshake with while seemingly bypassing Hines completely. It created an awkward moment that quickly gained traction on social media. Kennedy has publicly acknowledged that his wife, a self-described "lifelong Democrat," was uncomfortable with his decision to support Trump after suspending his own independent presidential campaign.
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Trump at UFC event
Donald Trump made a high-profile entrance at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Saturday, receiving enthusiastic cheers and a sea of “Make America Great Again” banners as he arrived to watch the fights. He was joined by Elon Musk and Musk’s young son, X, with UFC President Dana White following close behind. As Trump made his way through the excited crowd, he stopped briefly to greet Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.In the front row sat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump greeted with a handshake. Seated beside Kennedy was his wife, Cheryl Hines, who extended her hand toward the former president.
Trump, however, appeared to miss the gesture and turned his focus to the commentary desk where Joe Rogan was located. Hines looked momentarily confused as Trump walked past, lightly tapping his arm and offering a small shrug.
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Joel Solomon reacted to the snub on X, formerly Twitter: "Cheryl Hines getting blown off for a handshake by President Trump is just missing the Curb theme music."
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Another X user asked: "Does Trump have beef with cheryl hines?! he totally dissed her at UFC 314"
The incident sparked mixed reactions among fans. One spectator commented: "Why? That was f'ing rude, @realDonaldTrump."Another chimed in: "What an ---hole. He's supposed to be representing ALL AMERICANS the ----ing wet snowflake."
"She is a lifelong Democrat, and the idea of me supporting Donald Trump was, like I said - it was something she would have never imagined, something that she never wanted in her life," he revealed at the time, as reported by The Hill.
"I think it causes her a lot of discomfort, and I'm very grateful to her for giving me support, but she was not somebody who was clamoring for this move. I would say the opposite is true."
Kennedy also admitted that his endorsement of Trump was the "opposite" of what Hines would have chosen. "She went along with it because she loves me and she wanted to be supportive of me, but it was not something that she ever encouraged, I would say," he told MSNBC.
However, since then, Hines has been seen accompanying her husband at various White House events and ceremonies, suggesting she has put her initial reservations aside.