MALE GAZE

Trump, 79, Thirsts Over Male Athlete, 34, as War Spirals

The president focused his sights on a hunky fighter at home rather than his fight overseas.

Not even the war in Iran can get in the way of President Donald Trump’s fascination with handsome men.

A video shared on X early on Sunday captured a conversation between the 79-year-old president and Brazilian MMA fighter Paulo Costa, 34, after “The Eraser” defeated Azamat Murzakanov by technical knockout at UFC 327 in Miami, Florida, on Saturday.

“You’re a beautiful guy. Great fight,” Trump told Costa while holding the athlete’s hand and tapping his leg. “You could be a model, you look so good.”

“You’re too good-looking to be a fighter,” he added. “You are some fighter. Thank you, man.”

The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.

While Vice President JD Vance was across the world trying and failing to negotiate peace for the war that Trump started in Iran, the elderly president sat ringside to watch strong men rough each other up.

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Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also attended the event in Miami and did not join Vance for the diplomatic talks.

Trump shared his own clip of his chat with the Brazilian fighter to Truth Social on Sunday evening.

“Congratulations to Paulo Costa on a Great UFC Fight last night in Miami,” Trump wrote. “He will absolutely be a future Champion. It was great talking to him outside the ring after his Big Victory last night in Miami!”

Vance said on Sunday that after 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, the U.S. and Iran failed to come to an agreement when Tehran refused to give up its ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.

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“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” the vice president said after the talks, the Associated Press reported.

Vance, who was joined at the diplomatic meeting by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and real-estate developer-turned Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, said that Iran had not accepted the United States’s terms, but did not clarify what terms, exactly, the country did not agree to.

Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said after the talks fell through that it was time for the U.S. “to decide whether it can gain our trust or not,” according to the AP.

Trump did not appear concerned about the talks, telling reporters on Saturday, “I don’t care.”

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“Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” he said.

It’s unclear what will happen once the already shaky ceasefire agreement ends on April 22.

On Sunday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. military would begin blockading ships “trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that the Navy would also “seek and interdict” any ships that have paid a toll to Iran for passage across the crucial trade corridor.

“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he wrote.

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Vic VerbalaitisNight Breaking News Reporter

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