By Transition 2025 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVzJBEYtFKU) via Wikimedia Commons
Ari Emanuel, the UFC’s new owner and Hollywood power broker, is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump on Sunday afternoon.
While it remains unclear why the co-CEO of sports entertainment entity WME-IMG is scheduled to meet with the president-elect, POLITICO confirmed the news after Emanuel was sighted at the Trump National Golf Course in New Jersey on Sunday.
Emanuel’s relationship with Trump dates back years. The tycoon’s WME agency once represented Trump when he was a host on The Apprentice, and Trump even referred to him as a “close friend”. However, when the Hollywood Reporter questioned whether the agency was interested in re-signing him, Emanuel revealed that he is “not contemplating any of that.” WME later acquired the Miss Universe pageant from Trump, where Ari famously said “He wanted to sell it. ‘Great, we want to buy it.'”
While Emanuel is likely attempting to establish a working relationship with the man soon set to lead the United States, he does not share his political views. Ari is a longtime contributor to democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton’s failed 2025 bid. His brother, Rahm, is President Obama’s former Chief of Staff and a Chicago mayor with close times to the democratic party.