Secretary of State Marco Rubio made an unexpectedly candid observation about the degradation of American unity during an event celebrating the U.S. government’s partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Before signing a memorandum of understanding with the UFC to form a public-private partnership, Rubio spoke to a gathered crowd at the White House about why President Donald Trump’s administration is so enthusiastic about the sport. His off-the-cuff speech became a surprising testimony about social alienation in the modern age.
“We are so divided by so many different things,” Rubio said. “We get our news from different places, we follow different accounts online, we do everything separate from one another in this country — and I would say increasingly around the world — we are so polarized.”
He continued: “There are only a handful of things that bring people together in one place at one time, united by their interest in one thing. We need more of those, we need more of those forms and those settings in which we can bring people together to enjoy something together and find something in common.”
The secretary’s observations are not without basis.
A report in March from German polling firm Statista found that “political polarization” in the United States is “particularly strong,” with an inordinate number of citizens identifying as “far-left” or “far-right.”
A report released Wednesday from Pew Research Center acknowledged that “American politics is deeply divided along partisan lines” but attempted to expand the understanding of different groups within the left-right paradigm. The firm found that nine political groups emerged from the data, including tribes such as “No Apologies Right,” “Unconventional Right,” “Loyal Liberals,” and the “Turned-Out Middle” — each with contrasting and overlapping priorities.
Trump is hosting the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn next week, timed to coincide with the president’s 80th birthday. A 4,300-seat stage has been constructed for the occasion and outfitted with pyrotechnics that Rubio said unsettled the Secret Service during testing.
The administration has characterized the UFC event as a celebration of the country and an occasion for national unity at a time of unprecedented bifurcation in U.S. society.
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Another reason offered for the U.S. government’s partnership with the UFC was the mixed martial arts enterprise’s capacity to pool talent from around the world. Rubio called the UFC the “United Nations of fighting” and said multiple heads of state have told him they are fans of the sport.
“It’s to the point where we may have a diplomatic crisis, because, you know, we can’t bring everybody,” Rubio joked.
Other special events are planned for Washington, D.C., to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, including a free IndyCar race in August on the National Mall.