Not even WrestleMania can wash the Trump stink from WWE

No amount of pyro, pageantry, or rebranding can mask the stench of a political heel who lives and dies by the kayfabe illusion.

Donald Trump and Vince McMahon in 2007

Welcome to Sports Politika, a media venture founded by investigative journalist and researcher Karim Zidan that strives to help you understand how sports and politics shape the world around us. Our mission is to offer an independent platform for accessible journalism that raises awareness and empowers understanding.

If you share this vision, please consider supporting us by joining our community and becoming a paid subscriber. We are currently running a 20% promotion on annual subscriptions, which you can take advantage of below.

---

---

Since taking office in January, Donald Trump has pushed his political agenda at breakneck speed. Executive orders, mass firings, migrant abductions, and a global trade war have unfolded with dizzying intensity—leaving the nation struggling to keep pace.

Amid the chaos, the president has still carved out time for a steady stream of sports appearances. He showed up at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, took a lap in his motorcade at the Daytona 500 in Florida, and made stops at the NCAA wrestling championships and UFC 314 in Miami, where he was treated to an elaborate entrance alongside members of his cabinet.

Despite making sports a centerpiece of his political brand—including an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports—Trump is not expected to attend WrestleMania 41 — the WWE’s two-day annual showcase for professional wrestling.

Over the past week, Trump has received heavy endorsements from WWE COO Paul "Triple H" Levesque, whose mother-in-law Linda McMahon serves as Trump’s education secretary, as well as former WWE champion Roman Reigns.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the 39-year-old Reigns said: “I support our president. Trump is one of those guys where he’s got a vast history and a huge background. He’s been in entertainment. He’s been in big business, politics. At this point, I’m supporting a bright future for our country. Positive and competent leadership.”

Reigns, whose real name is Joe Anoa’i, also acknowledged the chaotic state of modern politics, musing that it “seems to be more like wrestling than any other form of entertainment.”

That last bit is certainly true. No matter how big the spectacle, Trump is part of the WWE’s brand—proof that no amount of pyro, pageantry, or rebranding can mask the stench of a political heel who never really left the ring.