'I had to be a real American': Hulk Hogan on why he came out as ‘Trumpomaniac’

Coming out
Backing Trump
Fired up
Always about the Hulk
Criticised by his peers
Not a team player 
Star of the show 
In a position of power
The hand that feeds 
Don’t get on his bad side
Steroid use
Huge blow for ‘Mania
Presidential 'campaign' 
Out of his depth
His messy divorce
Hulk denies this one
Leaked Tape and Racism 
The biggest blow for ‘Mania 
Covid vaccine conspiracy theorist 
Dropping himself in it, again
Even more to add to the list! 
Keeping a safe distance
Coming out

Hulk Hogan delivered one of his most… er, notable promos at the Republican National Convention on July 18, with the retired wrestler declaring he wanted “Trumpamania to run wild on America.”

Backing Trump

Hogan was speaking in the lead-up to an appearance from former president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and gave a glowing endorsement to the businessman-turned-politician.

Fired up

The viral speech included Hogan, born Terry Bollea, referencing a number of his most memorable moments including his slam on Andre The Giant, and his experiences with his ‘hero’ Donald before getting fired up and ripping off his shirt.

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"Couldn't stay silent"

Speaking of his decision to come out so publicly in favor of Trump, Hogan told Fox News that he “couldn’t stay silent” after the assassination attempt on the former president.

"I had to be a real American"

“When they took a shot at my hero, Donald Trump, I realized that I couldn’t be silent anymore. I had to step up. I had to be a real American, just like all these real Americans here and Donald Trump. You know, I have a voice, too, and I want people to know. It’s time to talk, it’s time not to be silent anymore,” Fox News reported.

Always about the Hulk

Trump is a controversial character, so Hogan’s backing of the presidential candidate has been divisive to say the least. But this isn't exactly new territory for Hogan, who has had more than his fair share of controversies. 

Criticised by his peers

One of the biggest criticisms of Hogan comes from his former colleagues – and there are a lot of them – who have spoken out about how badly ‘The Real American’ treated the backstage area.

Not a team player 

Hogan was by many accounts only out to serve himself. A master of backstage politics, Hogan HATED making other wrestlers look good, and any suggestion to help put an up-and-coming champion over were, at best, heavily scrutinised by ‘The Hulkster’.

Star of the show 

Hogan loved being the star of the show and the deals that came with being the face of pro wrestling that he was incredibly reluctant to pass on his title. In fact, he would often point blank refuse to do so at times if the circumstances did not look favourably upon him.

In a position of power

This often led to awkward confrontations between writers, wrestlers and general manager Vince McMahon, who would often end up siding with Hogan for fear of losing his golden boy.

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The hand that feeds 

It went even further than that, as Hogan had his preferred wrestling talents to work with. He knew acts such as the Nasty Boys, Hacksaw Duggan, Honky Tonk Man, Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake would do their best to make Hogan look good so he ensured those talents were prioritised in the running sheet.

Don’t get on his bad side

If you weren’t on his good side, well you can imagine. The accounts are too detailed and varied to mention but wrestlers who have been vocal about their issues with Hogan over the years include, Bret Hart, Jesse Ventura, Scott Steiner, Shawn Michaels, Sid and promoter Jim Cornette, according to the Sportster

Steroid use

In 1994, Vince McMahon was on trial facing charges of distributing steroids and one count of conspiracy to distribute steroids. At the trial, Hogan was forced to testify that he had in fact used steroids to build his physique, the New York Times reported.

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Huge blow for ‘Mania

It was a huge blow to the image and credibility of Hogan, who had always maintained he was a 100% natural trainer (you know, vitamins, prayers, believing in yourself etc). Many of his fans never thought of him the same way again.

Presidential 'campaign' 

In 1998, Hogan dropped a bombshell on the ‘Tonight Show with Jay Leno’. Hogan announced his retirement from pro wrestling with the intention of becoming the next US President.

Out of his depth

The announcement drew widespread interest and soon Hogan was doing media rounds discussing his plan. The problem was that it became immediately clear he was out of his depth and only had a vague understanding of the political process, wrestlinginc.com reported. Wrestling fans recoiled! Fast forward 20 years and he might've actually pulled it off... 

His messy divorce

In 2007, news emerged that Hogan and his wife of 24 years, Linda were divorcing. This was eyebrow-raising firstly as the Hogan family were then-reality TV show stars with the show ‘Hogan Knows Best’. Secondly, as the person was he was having an affair with his daughter’s best friend Christine Plante.

Hulk denies this one

This played out in sensational style as Plante confirmed the relationship to The National Enquirer, while his daughter Brooke posted a lengthy MySpace post about how it affected her. Hulk, however, denied it in his book ‘My Life Outside The Ring.’

Leaked Tape and Racism 

This one is a doozy. In 2015 a raunchy tape featuring Hulk Hogan leaked online. To make matters WAY worse, Hogan goes on a racist tirade in the video, criticising his daughter’s romantic choices. He uses the N-word multiple times throughout the rant and even says he is a racist himself, according to Wrestling Inc. 

The biggest blow for ‘Mania 

Easily the most damaging event for Hogan, this scandal resulted in an instant dismissal from the WWE and he was also stripped from the WWE Hall Of Fame. Hogan apologized for the outburst, though the damage was done. 

Covid vaccine conspiracy theorist 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. Despite a shrinking public platform Hogan has still managed to put his foot in it – this time with the help of his own Facebook page.

 

Dropping himself in it, again

In January 2022, Hogan commented on Facebook in reply to a fan about recent celebrity deaths, including 99-year-old Betty White, by stating they were “100% [linked to the vaccine]. They're dropping like flies, but they'll never say that,” Newsweek reported

Even more to add to the list! 

The most shocking thing is that there is even more to this list we haven’t included, such as his homophobic slurs, going to raunchy photoshoots with his daughter Brooke, and the time he blocked a wrestling union, but these are perhaps stories for another day.

Keeping a safe distance

It’s safe to say, though, if WWE has an uncomfortable relationship with Hulk Hogan, there are more than a few good reasons why.  

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