In a throwback moment to his former career, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance tank top during an electrifying speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.
“Let Trumpamania Make America Great Again,” Hogan howled, receiving an enthusiastic response from the crowd.
He came on stage carrying an American flag and sporting the same image on a t-shirt that he paired with a blue blazer.
The ensemble didn’t make it through the speech, as Hogan dramatically ripped off his top layer, flexing his muscles as he paraded around the podium.
I’ve seen it all now 😂@HulkHogan pic.twitter.com/vy6ei4tAMO
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) July 19, 2024
“I didn’t come here as Hulk Hogan, but I had to give you a little taste,” he quipped to the cheering audience.
He then introduced himself by his actual name, Terry Bollea, sharing that he has known Trump for about 35 years.
The retired wrestler hailed Trump as a “hero” and a “gladiator,” then referred to the audience at the convention “real Americans” and suggested they adopt the term “Trumpites” if the 45th president retakes the White House in November.
The former Wrestlemania star praised Trump and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance as “the greatest tag team in my life,” letting the crowd know that they were “ready to straighten this country out for all you real Americans.”
Whatchoogonnado when the Hulkster endorses you? 💪pic.twitter.com/yowVU1n4Bi
— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) July 18, 2024
“So all you criminals, all you low-lifes, all you scumbags, all you drug dealers and all you crooked politicians need to answer one question for me. What you gonna do when Donald Trump and all the Trumpamaniacs run wild on you brother?” Hogan roared.
Trump made his second appearance at the Fiserv Forum that night, this time accompanied by his family, including daughter Ivanka Trump, who was making her debut at the convention.
“I just had a flashback, man. This is really tripping,” Hogan said. “The last time I was onstage, Donald Trump was sitting ringside at Trump Plaza,” he reminisced.
“I was bleeding like a pig,” Hogan continued. “And I won the world title right in front of Donald J. Trump!”
Before appearing at the convention, Hogan told Fox News’ Bret Baier that Saturday’s assassination attempt prompted him to act, having previously kept a lid on his support of Trump, despite their decades-long friendship.
“Well, you know, Bret, I got tired of remaining silent,” Hogan stated. “I sat back and watched the borders collapse. I watched the economy collapse. You know, I watched the price of gas, the price of food, everything just do an upside-down flip.”
“And when they took a shot at my hero Donald Trump, I realized I couldn’t stay silent anymore,” he continued.
“It rattled me to my core when this happened,” Hogan noted. “And when I saw him stand up with that fist in the air and the blood on his face as a warrior, as a leader, I realized that’s what America needs.”
“I knew it all along,” the wrestling icon confessed. “I was just afraid to speak out, but when I saw that, it just made me realize that is the leader that this country needs to get back on track.”
Trump spoke about the assassination attempt on his life during his Thursday night address at the convention, when he accepted the GOP nomination for president.
He talked about being grazed by shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks’ bullet for the first and what he said was the last time, “because it’s actually too painful to tell.”
Trump explained that he only survived at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, because he was referencing an immigration chart, which caused him to tilt his head.
“In order to see the chart, I started to … turn to my right and was ready to begin a little further turn – which I am very lucky I didn’t do – when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear,” Trump told the crowd.
“I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet,’ and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down. My hand was covered with blood, just absolutely blood all over the place.”
He dropped down to take cover and Secret Service agents swiftly moved to protect him.
“These are great people at great risk, I will tell you, and pounced on top of me so that I will be protected,” Trump remarked.
“There was blood pouring everywhere and yet in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side,” he said to cheers from the crowd.
“The most incredible aspect of what took place on that terrible evening in the fading sun was actually seen later,” Trump continued.
“This massive crowd of tens of thousands of people stood by and didn’t move an inch,” he noted.
“In fact, many of them bravely but automatically stood up looking for where the sniper would be. They knew immediately it was a sniper, and then began pointing at him.”
While down on the stage, covered by Secret Service agents and bleeding, Trump observed the crowd’s concern.
“They didn’t know I was looking out. They thought it was over. But I could see it and I wanted to do something to let them know I was okay,” he recalled.
“I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands and thousands of people that were breathlessly waiting, and started shouting, ‘Fight, fight, fight.’”
“Once my clenched fist went up, and it was high into the air – you’ve all seen that – the crowd realized I was okay and roared with pride for our country like no crowd I have ever heard before. Never heard anything like it,” Trump concluded.
“For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the love shown by that giant audience of patriots that stood bravely on that fateful evening in Pennsylvania.”