The wife of Donald Trump Jr. made sure to pose for a photo with America’s top-selling comedian, Nate Bargatze, at the tacky UFC White House event.
Bettina Trump, who married Donald Trump’s eldest son last month, included a photo of herself smiling with Bargatze as part of an Instagram photo dump from Sunday’s “Freedom 250″ event.
The socialite, formerly Bettina Anderson, apparently felt the photo with Bargatze was important enough to feature alongside pictures of herself with several members of Trump’s family, including Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and the president’s eldest granddaughter, 19-year-old Kai Trump.
A source close to the comedian insisted to the Daily Beast that Bargatze attended the White House event—which just so happened to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday—because UFC is his “favorite sport” and that his appearance was “not political.”
Bargatze has not posted any photos or videos of himself at Trump’s birthday bash as the clean-cut, family-friendly comedian continues his attempt to portray himself as politically neutral. However, Bargatze has now been exposed by several high-profile MAGA figures, who have gleefully shared photos of him attending Sunday’s event.
In addition to Bettina Trump, others pictured with Bargatze at the UFC event included Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary under Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and podcaster Joe Rogan.
Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines was the first to post an Instagram Story showing herself and Bargatze smiling alongside her husband, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Vice President JD Vance visible in the background.
Some fans of the comedian have turned on Bargatze after photo after photo of him at Trump’s UFC event went viral.
“I’ve been one of your biggest fans. Have been following you since the beginning and have seen you in person twice in San Diego,” one Instagram user wrote in the comments of a post promoting Bargatze’s critically panned movie, The Breadwinner. “After seeing you having a ball Sunday night at the BS event that we taxpayers paid for, I’m done.”
Another Instagram user added: “Can’t take you seriously as a dad after PedoFest 250.”
A source previously told the Daily Beast that Bargatze was aware of the potential backlash he would face for attending the UFC event and had even discussed it with his team beforehand.
Bargatze’s subsequent radio silence is only becoming more damaging, as he has also failed to condemn comments by heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit, who called former first lady Michelle Obama “a man” after defeating Derrick Lewis in the second round.
In a May 2025 profile for Esquire, Bargatze reiterated that he has no intention of revealing his political views either in his act or in public.
“If I want to give you my opinion on who I voted for, who’s that for? It’s for me, really, because I want you to know I’m smart,” Bargatze said. “I don’t think it’s really helping an audience. You don’t think they know who to vote for? They’re living life.”
The Daily Beast has contacted Bargatze’s team for comment.
