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My favorite Donald Trump story goes like this: in 2007 WWE ran a storyline the place firm chairman Vince McMahon was killed in a limo explosion. The ultimate shot of the episode was him stepping into the automobile, which then blew up, and the printed light to black. Trump allegedly referred to as the corporate in a panic to ask if Vince was okay, as a result of he thought the explosion was actual.
That man is a candidate for president. He’s already been president.
As humorous and peculiar as that story is, I all the time had hassle believing it. Trump would by no means be tricked by a wrestling storyline. In spite of everything, his complete life has been one huge professional wrestling storyline. He’s a WWE Corridor of Famer. He was one half of the “battle of the billionaires” at WrestleMania 23. And now, in a second nearly too stupidly excellent to be true, he’s been endorsed for president on the Republican Nationwide Conference by Hulk Hogan, brother.
In case you missed it, Hogan took to the stage at yesterday’s RNC to offer a ringing endorsement for Diamond Don. Hogan got here on stage to his signature theme music “Actual American” – they settle for nothing much less on the RNC, in any case – and ended the speech by tearing his shirt off, solely to disclose a second Trump/Vance 2024 shirt beneath. “Let Trump-o-mania run wild, brother!”, screamed the six-time WWE champion, earlier than main the group in a chant of “USA! USA!” It was a spectacle as uplifting because it was dignified, and served as an ideal convergence of each males’s lives and careers.
They’re each former actuality TV stars – Trump with The Apprentice, Hulk with Hogan Is aware of Greatest. They each rose to prominence within the eighties, making a reputation for themselves in iconic New York venues: Trump Tower and Madison Sq. Backyard, respectively. They’re each additionally extraordinarily good pals with former WWE firm chairman Vince McMahon – a equally problematic character who most likely deserves his personal article.
They’re additionally each seemingly resistant to cancellation. All of us keep in mind Trump’s “seize ‘em by the p****” audio leak, which we informed ourselves could be the top of his divisive 2016 marketing campaign (spoiler: it very a lot was not). However Hogan had the same subject in 2015, when audio tapes surfaced which featured him saying some deeply racist issues about his daughter’s boyfriend, together with repeatedly utilizing the n-word and even calling himself a “racist” – he later apologised, acknowledging that his conduct had been “offensive” and “unacceptable”. WWE minimize ties with Hogan over the incident, however like with Trump, it didn’t stick – simply this previous January, he was the face of the corporate’s Royal Rumble occasion.
To not point out the truth that they’re each recognized for, properly, let’s say “stretching the reality”. After all you most likely know that Trump likes to magnify, and even make issues up wholesale, to serve no matter narrative he’s attempting to push that day. However do you know that Hulk Hogan was requested to play bass for Metallica? No? Effectively neither did James Hetfield, the band’s lead guitarist, who when informed that Hogan had been going round making the declare responded “Huh? Undoubtedly not”.
Or how about the truth that Hogan claims Elvis was an enormous fan of his, regardless of the King dying in 1977 – properly earlier than Hogan turned well-known. Or there’s my private favorite: that as a result of time distinction between the US and Japan, Hogan – who continuously flew between the 2 for work – as soon as ended up wrestling 400 days in a single 12 months. Yeah. Take a second to essentially drink that one in.
It’s an ideal match. Not simply Hogan and Trump, however professional wrestling and politics. Within the US, there isn’t actually a lot distinction between the 2. You know the way wrestlers will hold enjoying their half even when the cameras aren’t rolling, to assist keep the phantasm? Like they realize it isn’t actual, and we all know it isn’t actual, however all of us faux that it’s to assist promote the lie? There’s a phrase for that. In wrestling, it’s referred to as “kayfabe”. In politics, it’s referred to as a “coverage place”.
Hogan wasn’t even the one wrestler on the conference. Keep in mind Kane? The Undertaker’s brother? The large, shambling Jason Voorhees knock-off who wore a purple leotard and by no means spoke? Effectively his actual title is Glenn Jacobs, and he’s presently the Republican mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Enjoyable truth: regardless of carrying a masks for a lot of his profession, he got here out as staunchly in opposition to face coverings in the course of the pandemic – and regardless of his character being mute, he by no means shuts up about it on Twitter.
This has all been recognized for a very long time, although. In case you’ve seen the 2006 movie Idiocracy, during which a future model of Earth is populated fully by idiots, you’ll keep in mind that an enormous a part of the plot revolves round the truth that their president is a professional wrestler. Why? As a result of folks like huge, silly spectacles. I ought to know, I’m one among them. Certain, we’re not fairly on the stage the place we’re electing the wrestler himself – he’s simply making a key speech at a serious get together convention – however should you ask me, it’s shut sufficient.
And don’t assume we’re resistant to it right here within the UK. Certain, we didn’t have Huge Daddy come out and endorse Keir Starmer for PM, however keep in mind when Boris Johnson did his little zipline stunt a number of years in the past? Or how about Ed Davey’s grand Middle Parcs tour in the course of the latest election marketing campaign?
Folks like Nigel Farage, Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch have just about made careers out of performing like basic wrestling heels. “You could not like me, however I’ll make you’re keen on me” is wrestling unhealthy man 101. All Jacob Rees-Mogg wants is a pet snake and a valet and he’s set to tackle Cody Rhodes at subsequent month’s SummerSlam.
As an enormous wrestling fan and politics nerd, let me be the primary to say that I hope the 2 keep far aside from each other. One is a violent, harmful spectacle carried out by immodest maniacs for the pleasure of a braying, bloodthirsty mob, and the opposite is skilled wrestling. Is that too apparent a joke? Perhaps, however Trump might be going to be president once more quickly, so I suppose huge, apparent jokes are again in vogue.
Hopefully that is the final time politics and wrestling come fairly this shut to at least one one other. Though if the information is to be believed, the Rock has hinted that he would possibly run for president quickly; so don’t rule something out simply but, brother.