At Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden wrestling icon Hulk Hogan fired up the crowd with a mix of nostalgia and pointed humour, including a not-so-subtle jab at Vice President Kamala Harris.
Hogan, opening for Trump, began with classic wrestling bravado, declaring, “This is the house that Hulk-a-mania built!” before romanticising about body-slamming rivals and hyping the crowd of “Trump-a-maniacs.” Hogan’s speech was a homage to Trump’s “real Americans,” as he cast the gathered crowd as champions of Trump’s vision for America.
“All of a sudden, she flips, she flops, she spins and turns around and acts like she was going to be the damn hero,” said Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea. “But we all know Trump is the only man that can fix this country today, and with Trump as our commander in chief, peace through strength will fix all of our problems in the Middle East.”
Later in a controversial turn, Hogan appeared to reference the viral Hawk Tuah video when addressing Harris, spitting into the microphone to mimic a comedic sound effect popularised online. He stated, “When I hear Kamala speak… it sounds like a script from Hollywood with a really, really [spitting sound] bad actress!” The comment, paired with Hogan’s mimicry, played to an enthusiastic audience, drawing applause and laughter.
Watch: Hulk Hogan’s Hawk Tuah Joke
Hogan has been in Trump’s corner since he spoke at the Republican National Convention in July.
“You know something, Trump-a-maniacs? I don’t see no stinking Nazis in here. I don’t see no stinking domestic terrorists in here. The only thing that I see in here are a bunch of hard-working men and women that are real Americans, brother. You know what I hear in my president and our president Donald Trump, he sounds for real, brother,” he declared.
Even as he yelled at the “Trumpamaniacs” and asked them to vote for Trump the former wrestler visibly struggled to rip his shirt, drawing flack and sarcasm from netizens.
Trump’s rally marked a return to NYC’s iconic venue, drawing a mix of celebrities and outspoken supporters who championed his political message.
