(AFP) – Famed US professional wrestling star Hulk Hogan endorsed Donald Trump for president Thursday, ripping off his shirt in his signature style to reveal he was wearing another one underneath with the Republican candidate’s name on it. “With our leader up there, my hero, that gladiator, we’re gonna bring America back together,” the 1980s icon said on stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee ahead of Trump’s closing speech on the fourth day of the event.
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, compared Trump and his vice-presidential running mate J.D. Vance to the dynamic duo act he used to perform with “Macho Man” Randy Savage: The Mega Powers. Like he used to do in his wrestling matches, Hogan, 70, ripped off the T-shirt he was wearing to reveal a red one underneath showcasing the Trump-Vance presidential ticket.
As he entered the auditorium, packed with Republican delegates who nominated Trump as the party’s candidate for president, Hogan said she felt like he was in front of “real Americans.” The wrestler was embroiled in controversy more than a decade ago after an intimate video of him leaked, as well as for his use of racist language. The latter caused him to be fired from World Wrestling Entertainment in 2015, where he had won major titles during his career. He has since apologized for his actions.
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