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

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.”

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.

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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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.

“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.

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. 

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.

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’.

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.

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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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.

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

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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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.

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.

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... 

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.

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.’

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. 

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. 

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.

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

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.

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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