← The Rubin Report
The Rubin Report
WH UFC Event Revealed, Kevin Hart Breaks w/ Hollywood, DeSantis Drops Bombshell | 5/28/26 FIRST LOOK
00:11:47
Loading summary
Transcript4 lines
- [00:02]
A
With the new Myloes Pro Rewards. American Express Card earn 3 points per dollar spent on Lowe's qualifying purchases for the first six months after Card Account opening, plus save 5% every day on eligible purchases at Lowe's and earn points on eligible purchases everywhere else. AMEX is accepted. Card members get more at Lowe's, subject to credit approval. 5% can't be combined with any other offer. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Points subject to loyalty terms@lowe's.com terms and credit reward terms@synchrony.com MLPRA terms visit lowe's.com businesscredit.
- [00:34]
B
Hey everybody, I'm Dave Rubin and this is First Look. It's Thursday, May 28, 2026. We've got a packed show for you today. Ron DeSantis unveils a massive proposal to slash property taxes for most Florida homeowners. Kevin Hart pushes back on Cancel Culture and defends comedian Tony Hinchcliffe over a controversial George Floyd joke. Construction is now underway for President Trump's massive UFC event on White House lawn ahead of America's 250th birthday celebrations. Let's dive in. We start in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis just unveiled one of the boldest tax cut proposals in the country, a plan he says could eventually eliminate property taxes for the overwhelming majority of Floridians who own the homes they live in. And honestly, if this actually happens, it would completely reshape homeownership in Florida. So speaking Wednesday, DeSantis announced he's calling the Florida Legislature back to Tallahassee next week to begin the process of putting a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The proposal would dramatically expand Florida's homestead exemption, first raising it to $250,000, then eventually to $500,000. According to DeSantis, that would effectively eliminate property taxes for 92% of Florida homeowners who who live in their primary residences, DeSantis said. I think a lot of people need relief. Then he added, we're showing a pathway to be able to get that done that I think is going to be transformational for people. Now this is part of a much larger conversation. DeSantis has been pushing for more than a year whether property taxes themselves are fundamentally unfair. And honestly, a lot of conservatives agree with him. Because when you think about it, property taxes mean you never fully own your home. You buy the house, you pay the mortgage, you maintain the property. But every single year the government still charges you just to continue living there. And if you stop paying, they can eventually take your property. That's why many conservatives increasingly view property taxes as one of the most abusive forms of taxation in America. Now, DeSantis stopped short of calling for full statewide elimination, at least for now. Instead, he says the plan would gradually phase in relief while creating a state trust fund to help local governments offset lost revenue during the transition. And politically, DeSantis clearly believes this could become a defining issue for Republicans nationally because across the country, property taxes are crushing retirees, homeowners are getting hammered by rising assessments, insurance costs are exploding, and inflation has made housing dramatically more expensive. Meanwhile, Florida continues attracting Americans fleeing high tax blue states like New York, California, Illinois and New Jersey, and this proposal would only accelerate that trend. Now, the plan still faces major hurdles. The amendment would need 60% support in the Florida legislature and then 60% approval from Florida voters in November, so this is far from guaranteed. But DeSantis is already preparing a major public campaign around it. He announced the state is launching a website where Floridians will be able to calculate exactly how much money they'd save under the proposal. And honestly, politically, that's smart, because once homeowners start seeing thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in potential savings, this becomes very easy to sell. Meanwhile, critics argue local governments depend heavily on property tax revenue to fund schools, police, fire departments, infrastructure and public services. But conservatives counter that Florida already runs far leaner and more efficiently than many blue states, while continuing to attract businesses, residents and investment. And this proposal fits directly into the broader conservative argument that Americans are overtaxed at virtually every level of government. Because at the end of the day, DeSantis is asking a pretty simple question. If you fully own your home, why should the government keep charging you rent forever? Now to the culture wars, where comedian Kevin Hart is pushing back against Cancel Culture and defending fellow comic Tony Hinchcliffe after outrage erupted over a George Floyd joke during Netflix's recent roast of Kevin Hart. And honestly, what's refreshing here is that Hart is saying something almost nobody in entertainment has the courage to say anymore. Not every joke needs a national moral panic. During an appearance on the Breakfast Club, Hart defended Hinchcliffe's performance even while admitting he personally didn't think the George Floyd joke landed well. The joke delivered during the roast went like this. Hinchcliffe told Hart, the black community is so proud of you right now. George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can't breathe. Predictably, outrage exploded online almost instantly. But Hart basically responded, relax, it's a roast. He said. It wasn't a tasteful joke to our culture to our audience. But if you're watching the roast, you get why they're doing it. Then he pointed out something obvious that many activists conveniently ignore. Roasts are intentionally offensive. That's literally the format, hart said. Go look at the Tom Brady roast. It happens every year when they do a roast. And importantly, Hart didn't just defend the concept. He actually praised Hinchcliffe's performance. Overall, he said, tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set or one of the best sets. Now, this matters because Hart himself has been through the cancel culture machine before. Back in 2018, Hart was selected to host the Oscars until activists resurfaced old jokes they claimed were offensive and demanded a public apology. The academy reportedly told Hart, apologize again or lose the job. And initially, Hart refused. At the time, he said, I chose to pass on the apology because he had already addressed the issue years earlier. Hart argued he shouldn't have to spend the rest of his life endlessly apologizing for old material after already acknowledging it and moving on. Eventually, after enormous pressure on, Hart did issue another apology and stepped down from hosting the Oscars. But clearly, that experience changed how he views these outrage campaigns. And honestly, a lot of Americans are exhausted by this cycle. Somebody tells a joke, social media melts down, activists demand punishment, companies panic, and comedians are expected to apologize forever. Meanwhile, comedy itself becomes impossible because everyone's terrified of offending somebody who Hart addressed that directly. He said, I'm going to appreciate humor. I don't get affected by the attempt of humor. I get it. And then he said something even more important. Either you're a fan of this level of content or you're not. And if you're not a fan, then you don't watch it. Exactly. Nobody forced anyone to watch a roast. And increasingly, people are pushing back against the idea that every edgy joke requires public punishment and cancellation or career destruction. Because whether people liked Hinchclip's joke or not, the bigger issue is whether comedy itself is still allowed to take risks. And Kevin Hart just made it very clear where he stands on that. And finally, construction is officially underway for what may become one of the wildest presidential events in modern American history. A full UFC fight card on the White House lawn. Yes, really. Workers this week began assembling a temporary octagon and event structures on the south lawn ahead of UFC Freedom 250, a massive June 14 event celebrating Flag Day, President Trump's 80th birthday, and America's upcoming 250th anniversary. And honestly, this thing sounds absolutely enormous. According to President Trump, the White House setup will include a 5,000-seat arena directly outside the White House, massive screens at the Ellipse, fireworks, light shows, fan festivals and potentially up to 85,000 spectators overall between the White House grounds and surrounding viewing areas. Trump recently said, I have never had an event that has had more interest than the UFC fight we have right at the front door. Then he added, that's gonna be something. Now the actual UFC card features some huge names. The main event will pit lightweight champion Ilya Topuria against Justin Gaethje. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira will fight Cyril Gane in an interim heavyweight championship matchup, Sean o' Malley faces Ayman Zahabi and Michael Chandler takes on Mauricio Ruffey. And visually, the entire setup sounds like pure Trump spectacle. Renderings show a massive red, white and blue stage, giant video screens, towering patriotic arches, stars and Stripes branding, and the octagon surrounded by fencing directly on White House grounds. The administration is also planning fighter weigh ins at the Lincoln Memorial, fan events across the National Mall, and additional celebrations tied to America's semi quincentennial. Now, predictably, not everyone in the UFC world is thrilled. Fighter Brandon Royval blasted the event, comparing it to the Hunger Games. He complained, I don't give a fuck to fight in front of some billionaires and rich people. But honestly, most fans seem to love the idea. And the reason this works politically for Trump is pretty obvious. The this event combines patriotism, sports spectacle, entertainment, masculine energy and American symbolism all in one massive made for TV event, which is basically Trump's entire political brand distilled into a UFC card. And this is only part of Trump's broader White House transformation project. The administration is already renovating the Rose Garden, adding Mar A Lago style patios, building a giant new ballroom, installing giant flagpoles, repainting government buildings and proposing a massive 250 foot triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. At this point, Trump clearly wants Washington to look monumental, patriotic, entertaining and unmistakably American. And honestly, a UFC octagon outside the White House might might be the most Trump thing imaginable. And that's your first look this Thursday. Quick recap. Ron DeSantis unveils a plan to dramatically slash and potentially eliminate property taxes for most Florida homeowners. Kevin Hart pushes back on Cancel Culture while defending comedy and Tony Hinchclip's controversial roast jokes. And construction officially begins for President Trump's massive UFC event on the White House lawn. We'll keep following all of it. I'm Dave Rubin. Thanks for starting your day with first look. See you tomorrow.
- [12:16]
C
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com
- [12:34]
D
Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms@mintmobile.com.