Everybody loves Nate Bargatze. Hell, I love Nate Bargatze. The clean-cut comic has built an empire on his dumb, everyman persona. He’s currently the #1 highest-grossing touring comedian. He’s hosted SNL. He just released his first movie (which, admittedly, tanked), and is a favorite of stand-up fans on both sides of the political aisle.

Bargatze himself had shied away from discussing his politics, or any politics, in public, telling Vanity Fair in 2021 that, “politics have got into everything. Comedians, movies, television. So why do you need me to do it? I don’t have a college education. I almost didn’t graduate high school… You should never vote for something I tell you to do.”

Hey, fair enough. Bargatze understands that his fans don’t need him to try to weigh in on policy. We’ve got funnier people to do that – like JD Vance. So it was a surprise to a lot of fans when he showed up at last week’s White House UFC lameapalooza. He’s now facing criticism for attending the event and appearing to buddy up with members of the administration, even posing for pictures with Secretary of Roadkill, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

And look, one can certainly make the argument that sporting events are for everybody. Spike Lee and Donald Trump both showed up at the Knicks game and nobody said boo. Rather, they yelled it, at the President.

But this wasn’t that.........

© The Daily Beast