Why Wrestling Stars are Joining Trump’s Campaign Trail

Donald Trump’s connection to professional wrestling has emerged as an unconventional yet strategic element in his 2024 presidential campaign.

More than a decade after his last appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programming, Trump is leveraging support from wrestling personalities to reach key demographics. This was exemplified when Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea made a dramatic appearance at the Republican National Convention, revealing a Trump 2024 tank top while adapting his famous catchphrase to endorse the former president. Trump’s recent media strategy has prioritized wrestling-affiliated platforms over traditional outlets.

He recently participated in an extensive podcast interview with Mark “The Undertaker” Calaway, who praised Trump for making politics entertaining. In a separate conversation with wrestler-turned-commentator Tyrus, Trump discussed his views on masculinity and religion in America. This approach aligns with his campaign’s broader strategy to reach voters through alternative media channels. Abraham Josephine Riesman, author of “Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America,” suggests that this strategy could be particularly effective in reaching voters who typically disengage from politics until election season.

The Trump campaign, through senior communications adviser Alex Bruesewitz, has explicitly acknowledged their focus on leveraging Trump’s celebrity status and personal appeal, particularly among young male voters through platforms like TikTok and wrestling-related media. Trump’s association with professional wrestling predates his political career, rooted in his childhood in Queens, New York. His business trajectory parallels that of WWE under Vince McMahon’s leadership, with both men inheriting family enterprises and transforming them into global empires during the post-Reagan era.

Their paths intersected professionally when Trump hosted consecutive WrestleMania events at his Atlantic City property in the late 1980s, culminating in the highly successful “Battle of the Billionaires” at WrestleMania 23 in 2007. While Trump hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since his 2013 Hall of Fame induction, his political connections to the wrestling world have persisted. Vince’s wife Linda McMahon served in Trump’s cabinet and now chairs the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute. However, not all wrestling personalities support Trump’s campaign.

Former wrestler Dave Bautista notably criticized Trump in a viral advertisement, challenging the former president’s tough-guy image. Wrestling journalist Bryan Alvarez observes that Trump’s alignment with iconic figures like Hulk Hogan demonstrates a calculated effort to associate with universally recognized celebrities.