Donald Trump is not wasting any time fighting for a return to the White House. In his first public event since the shocking verdict that found him guilty in the "hush money" trial in Manhattan, the presumed Republican presidential candidate, 77, is expected to attend a UFC fight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, two days after the ruling, according to the Wall Street Journal. This will be his first public appearance since vowing to defend and fight during a fiery press conference at Trump Tower in downtown Manhattan on Friday.
The card for UFC 302 will feature a fight headlined by top-ranked lightweight champion Islam Makhachev versus fourth-ranked Dustin "Diamond" Poirier. In March, the former president sat next to the cage with his oldest daughter, Ivanka, at a UFC event in Florida. A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in a scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pledged to appeal, stating he feels "honored" to be in the legal battle, and that "we are fighting for our Constitution."
The charges stemmed from a $130,000 payment of "hush money" made by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her about an alleged one-night affair with Trump. Fundraising efforts have surged since the verdict, with Trump's campaign boasting that it raised nearly $53 million online within 24 hours. He is expected to continue his fundraising campaign next week with a series of events in California, including a fundraising dinner on Thursday in San Francisco hosted by tech investors David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, according to Fox News.
