Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan set the final night of the Republican National Convention alight with a rousing endorsement of Donald Trump, ripping his shirt off in his trademark style to reveal a MAGA slogan as he warmed up the crowd for Trump’s nomination acceptance speech.
The iconic ex-WWE champion, famous for his flamboyant character, was met with roaring applause at the event as he primed attendees for Trump’s appearance. Hogan declared, “I want All the Hulkmaniancs to live the American dream too.”
Hogan lambasted the current administration, proclaiming: “We never had it better than the Trump years, we had safety, we had peace… And then we lost it… Crime is out of control,” before issuing a stark warning: “So all you criminals, all you lowlives, all you scumbags… whatcha gonna do when Donald Trump is president again.”
As the excitement reached its peak, Hogan began stripping down, exclaiming: “When they took a shot at my hero and they tried to kill the next President of the United States, enough was enough. I said ‘Let Trumpmania run wild brother, let Trumpmania rule again, let Trumpmania make America great again’,” and then tore his shirt apart in a dramatic finale.
In a dramatic twist, two senior campaign insiders revealed to NBC that the 70 year old wrestling legend is set to grace the RNC’s grand finale with his presence, delivering a speech ahead of Trump’s highly anticipated acceptance address. The event marks Trump’s return to the limelight following a harrowing assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as reported by Mirror US, reports the Mirror.
The attack left Trump with minor injuries but had a more tragic outcome for 50 year old Corey Comperatore, who lost his life, and left two others severely wounded. Hogan took to social media to voice his outrage over the violent incident and to show solidarity with Trump.
On that fateful Saturday night, Hogan swiftly shared a viral photo on Instagram showing a defiant Trump, bloodied yet unbowed, with a fist in the air and blood trickling from an ear wound sustained from a bullet while on stage.
Accompanying the chilling photo, Hogan addressed his 2.5 million followers with a statement: “Today’s events in Butler, Pennsylvania are deeply disturbing. No President, past or present, should face such a horrific act.”
The Florida-born wrestler-turned-actor also added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with President Trump, law enforcement and the Secret Service who bravely protect and uphold our shared values.”
Hogan is slated to take the spotlight at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, July 18, sometime between 7.30pm and 8pm CT.
The wrestling legend and ’80s superstar was joined on stage by two other esteemed guest speakers – Carrie Ruiz, the General Manager of golf at Trump National Doral in Miami, and Annette Albright, who previously ran for an at-large position on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education last autumn.
