Mr. Serena Williams Spotted At Trump’s White House UFC Event

Either Alexis Ohanian has a twin, or Serena Williams’ husband was seen on the White House’s South Lawn. 

Images of the Reddit co-founder and venture capitalist were all over social media as Ohanian was spotted at President Donald Trump’s White House UFC event over the weekend, a gathering that blurred the lines between sports, politics, and celebrity culture. 

The event, dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” took place on the South Lawn of the White House as part of celebrations tied to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday. The spectacle drew all kinds from athletes, entertainers and business executives but there were a few in attendance that haven’t been closely aligned to Trump’s politics. 

Like Ohanian, whose appearance quickly generated chatter online, particularly because he has built a public reputation around advocating for women’s sports, paid family leave, and other causes that do not neatly align with Trump-world politics. While his attendance doesn’t necessarily indicate political support, it was shocking to see the husband of the most dominant tennis player in the world at the event. 

That’s why Ohanian’s appearance felt so jarring to so many people. This isn’t simply a president with whom reasonable people can disagree about tax rates or infrastructure spending. Trump’s political movement has spent years targeting diversity initiatives, attacking programs designed to address racial inequality, demonizing immigrants, sanitizing discussions of racism and championing policies that disproportionately harm Black communities. Ohanian has built much of his public image around values that appear fundamentally at odds with that agenda. He’s spoken passionately about paid family leave. He’s invested in women’s sports. He’s married to Serena Williams, a Black woman who has experienced firsthand the racism that still permeates American institutions. 

No, showing up to a UFC fight on the White House lawn doesn’t automatically make someone a Trump supporter. But when that lawn has become a stage for a political project that many Black Americans view as openly hostile to their interests, attendance inevitably raises questions. Not because people expect Ohanian to be above the fray, but because they expect consistency. And for many watching at home, those two things didn’t quite match up.

X users were not kind, see the reactions below.