Shaq Catching Heat After Shaking Hands With Donald Trump At UFC Event

Sports have a way of uniting people from all walks of life, which was apparent at this weekend’s UFC 314 in Miami.

The main card fight, in which Alexander Volkanovski beat Diego Lopes in five rounds, highlighted the event.

President Donald Trump and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal were among the stars in the crowd. Footage even shows the two shaking hands, as the president pats him on the shoulder before pulling the seven-footer in and whispering something in his ear as they parted ways.

Ahead of the fight, Shaq was also photographed smiling alongside another MAGA mainstay, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

This isn’t the first time Shaq has been buddy-buddy with Trump. Back in 2016, when Trump shocked the world and won the presidential election, Shaq decried those asking for the votes to be recounted, instead asking for Trump to follow through on all his promises on the campaign trail.

“We have a process that’s been going on forever. And whoever wins, you just hope he does what he says he’s going to do. You know, candidate Trump promised a lot of people a lot of things,” said Shaq, according to The Hill. “Now that he’s president-elect, you just hope that he can make the world a better place. He won fair and square. We have to give him a chance. There’s no need talking about recounts and this and that.”

Their friendly relationship goes back decades, too, including when Trump married Melania in 2005. Shaq revealed he’s gotten real estate advice from his inner circle and joked to The Miami Herald that he bought Trump a white Rolls-Royce Phantom as a wedding gift.

“It’ll be parked in my driveway, whenever he wants to use it,” O’Neal said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Another surprising link-up for Shaq at the UFC event was with streamer Adin Ross, highlighted by the two jawing off at each other and Ross smacking Shaq’s leg, leading to his candy spilling.