MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 18: Professional entertainer and wrestler Hulk Hogan poses as he speaks
Trump’s relationship with WWE—formerly known as WWF—dates back to 1988, when he got involved in the rise of now-billionaire Vince McMahon’s sports entertainment empire, resulting in Trump Plaza in Atlantic City sponsoring WrestleMania 1988 and 1989 (Trump said in a 2011 documentary he “wanted a piece of” the event).
Trump, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, appointed WWE co-founder and McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, as administrator of the Small Administration.
Vince McMahon paid $5 million to Trump’s former charity in 2007 and 2009, lining up with Trump’s WWE appearances, though the exact purpose of the payments isn’t clear, The Wall Street Journal reported (the payments came to light when WWE revealed millions in unrelated, previously unrecorded expenses paid by McMahon to sexual misconduct accusers).
Trump's relationship with UFC and White began more than 20 years ago, when Trump personally invited White to hold events at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, attending both the May and June 2001 events from start to finish, White said in a 2022 interview cited by the BBC.
Back during the 2016 Republican National Convention, White delivered a speech endorsing Trump, and just last month, shortly after Trump’s conviction in his hush-money trial, his first public appearance post-felony was at a UFC event.
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Tavon Thomasson
