Topline
UFC President Dana White and longtime WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan delivered high-octane endorsement speeches for former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, underscoring the former president’s decades-old ties with both WWE and UFC.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 18: Professional entertainer and wrestler Hulk Hogan poses as he speaks … [+]
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Key Facts
Trump’s relationship with WWE—formerly known as WWF—dates back to 1988, when he got involved in the rise of now-billionaire Vince McMahon’s sports entertainment empire, resulting in Trump Plaza in Atlantic City sponsoring WrestleMania 1988 and 1989 (Trump said in a 2011 documentary he “wanted a piece of” the event).
Since then, Trump has also made appearances at WrestleMania 1991 in Los Angeles and WrestleMania 2004 in New York, and in 2007, he participated in the “Battle of the Billionaires” at WrestleMania 2007, where Bobby Lashley defeated Umaga, leading to billionaire McMahon’s head being shaved in the middle of the ring.
Trump, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, appointed WWE co-founder and McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, as administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Vince McMahon paid $5 million to Trump’s former charity in 2007 and 2009, lining up with Trump’s WWE appearances, though the exact purpose of the payments isn’t clear, The Wall Street Journal reported (the payments came to light when WWE revealed millions in unrelated, previously unrecorded expenses paid by McMahon to sexual misconduct accusers).
Trump’s relationship with UFC and White began more than 20 years ago, when Trump personally invited White to hold events at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, attending both the May and June 2001 events from start to finish, White said in a 2022 interview cited by the BBC.
Back during the 2016 Republican National Convention, White delivered a speech endorsing Trump, and just last month, shortly after Trump’s conviction in his hush-money trial, his first public appearance post-felony was at a UFC event.
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Key Background
The world of sports entertainment and combat sports descended on the Republican National Convention on Thursday, with the likes of Hogan, White and Linda McMahon all giving endorsement speeches in support of Donald Trump. During Hogan’s speech, he brought the crowd to its feet using many of his famous wrestling catchphrases and trademarks, including ripping off his shirt to show a Trump t-shirt. Prior to his speech, Hogan said in a Fox News interview and during his speech the assassination attempt on Trump inspired him to speak at the convention, calling Trump his “hero” and “what America needs.” Linda McMahon also delivered a speech on Trump’s behalf earlier Thursday.
Tangent
White’s introduction speech for Trump marks a change of pace compared to Trump’s previous GOP conventions, where his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka gave the introductory speeches in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
Surprising Fact
Despite his emphatic Trump support, Hulk Hogan endorsed Barack Obama back in 2008 but decided not to endorse him again for his second term in 2012, according to The Washington Post.
Forbes Valuation
We estimate Vince McMahon’s net worth at $2.9 billion. McMahon left WWE—now owned by TKO Group—earlier this year amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations. The Wall Street Journal reports federal authorities are investigating sexual assault and trafficking allegations against McMahon, who has denied all accusations against him. Trump, for his part, is worth an estimated $5.9 billion.