Hulk Hogan, the ’80s wrestler whose racist remarks tanked an already-dwindling career, is set to take the stage at the Republican National Convention ahead of former President Donald Trump’s remarks.
The WWE personality took to Fox News to voice his support and explain his endorsement of the former president.
“I got tired of remaining silent,” Hogan said. “When they took a shot at my hero, Donald Trump, I realized I couldn’t be silent anymore. I had to step up, I had to be a real American.”
Hogan’s remarks will come ahead of Trump’s partially pre-written speech, which he reportedly updated after a shooting attempt on his life.
Hogan went on a racist tirade, unleashed in 2015 by a leaked explicit video, which led the WWE to sever all ties with the Hall-of-Famer, a move they reversed in 2018.
Hogan joins the roster of C-listers, including Amber Rose, Dana White, and Russel Brand, in speaking at the convention, as Trump seeks to fill in the gaps with unconventional endorsements.
In a May rally, Trump accepted an endorsement from a pair of rappers indicted in a murder plot. Additionally, influencers Jake and Logan Paul publicly backed the president.