A flurry of online videos suggesting President Trump ignored actress Cheryl Hines, wife of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at a recent UFC match has sparked considerable social media discussion, but the full story is more nuanced than these initial impressions suggest.
The incident occurred Saturday night in Miami, where Trump attended the event alongside members of his Cabinet, including Kennedy. Videos circulating online show Trump shaking Kennedy’s hand to enthusiastic cheers upon entering the arena. However, one video depicts Hines appearing to extend her hand for a greeting, which Trump seemingly didn’t notice as he moved on to greet other attendees, prompting speculation about a possible slight.
Link Lauren, a former senior advisor to RFK Jr., swiftly countered these narratives with his own perspective and supporting evidence. “This is clickbait. He went back to her,” Lauren posted on X, accompanied by a photograph clearly showing Trump engaged in conversation with Kennedy and Hines during the event.
Despite the viral nature of the short clips and subsequent headlines both domestically and internationally, multiple sources offer a different interpretation of events.
“Cheryl Hines getting blown off for a handshake by President Trump is just missing the Curb theme music,” one user quipped on X, referencing her role in the popular comedy series.
A publicist for Cheryl Hines initially declined to comment on her attendance at the event but indicated that reports suggesting an oversight were likely accurate. An administration official also confirmed to Fox Digital that the President did not intentionally snub Hines.
As one X user noted, “President Trump spoke with Cheryl Hines last night at UFC 314. There were some reports that Trump may have ‘snubbed’ Hines (wife of RFK Jr) at the event, but the footage below shows that was not the case.”
Further examination of available footage and screenshots reveals a more complete picture: multiple instances show Trump later engaging in conversation with both Kennedy and Hines. One user explained, “No, President Trump did not ‘snub’ RFK Jr’s wife, Cheryl Hines. He didn’t see her hand, and went back after he was done greeting Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, as seen in the picture below.”
The situation takes on added significance considering Hines’ previous criticism of Trump, describing his rhetoric as “ridiculous and disrespectful.” Despite these prior remarks, she has appeared at several Trump-related events this year, including gatherings at Mar-a-Lago and the White House, following her husband’s endorsement of Trump and subsequent appointment as HHS chief.
- Initial videos suggested President Trump ignored actress Cheryl Hines at a UFC match.
- Former advisor Link Lauren refuted these claims with photographic evidence showing Trump later engaging with Hines and Kennedy.
- Administration officials confirmed that the perceived “snub” was likely an oversight.
- Hines has previously expressed criticism of Trump’s rhetoric but has attended several events associated with him since her husband endorsed his candidacy.
As Cheryl Hines stated, “Agree to disagree.”
