- The Los Angeles Times published an interview with Addison Rae on August 27.
- The actress and social media influencer addressed the viral video of her greeting former President Trump at UFC 264 in July.
- Rae, 20, said that she did not support Trump after fans criticized the interaction online.
Addison Rae addressed the video of her greeting former President Donald Trump at a UFC event after fans criticized her online.
Rae, whose full name is Addison Rae Easterling, appeared in an interview with The Los Angeles Times to talk about her new film, “He’s All That.” The actress and social media influencer also acknowledged her brief interaction with Trump at UFC 264 .
In July, the YouTube channel NELK uploaded a video titled “Addison Rae Says Hi to Donald Trump,” in which the 20-year-old was spotted approaching Trump and tapping him on the shoulder to introduce himself.
“I’m Addison. Nice to meet you. I have to say hi, hello. So nice to meet you,” Rae said in the video. Since July, the video has been viewed more than 5.1 million times. 
Insider’s Charlotte Colombo and Palmer Haasch reported that a clip was uploaded to the drama channel DefNoodles and gained at least 615,000 views.
At the time, Buzzfeed reported that fans and fellow influencers launched criticism at Rae for the public meeting,
On Twitter, actress and influencer Meghan Rienks wrote: “You actually * don’t* have to say hi.” Influencer and comedian Chris Klemens wrote: “Oopsies Addison … your Republican is showing.”
In her interview, Rae told the LA Times: “I mean, I don’t support Trump. And if someone does, that’s their opinion and I respect everyone’s opinion, for each their own. But it’s very rare on occasion that you ever get to meet a former president, and I think most people could agree with me on that.”
Addison added that it’s a “very uncommon” opportunity, and she considers herself a “friendly person.”
“So introducing myself does not mean I stand behind anything that any respective person condones,” Rae said.
Addison Rae arrives at the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020.
Rich Polk/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
In September 2020, fans began to speculate that Rae was a Republican after a TikTok video of her alleged voter registration made waves. She took to the comment section to dispel the rumor.
“This isn’t real,” Rae wrote. “First, I’m from Louisiana. Second, I’m not even registered to vote and never have been. I’m actually doing it for the first time with someone important and I’m excited to do so. This is fake.”
Rae is among other celebrities and influencers who’ve received online criticism for political beliefs.
Dixie D’Amelio pushed back at speculation she was a Trump supporter after she received death threats, writing on Twitter that she “never supported Trump.” “Dance Moms” star Kalani Hilliker garnered backlash after supporting Trump in the 2020 election.
