“So with the power of Donald J. Trump, and all the Trumpites running wild, America is gonna get back on track, and like Donald J. Trump said, America is gonna be great again,” Hogan declared.
Hogan then said that when he looked out at all the “real Americans” at the RNC, he thought about how Trump’s “family” and “business” were “compromised,” an apparent reference to the former president’s ongoing legal woes.
“But what happened last week,” Hogan said as he took off his sports coat, “when they took a shot at my hero and they tried to kill the next president of the United States, enough was enough!”
As Hogan continued to speak, he ripped off his shirt, revealing that below it was another cutoff shirt emblazoned with Trump’s and Vance’s names.
“And I said, ‘Let Trumpamania run wild, brother! Let Trumpamania rule again!’” Hogan shouted amid roaring cheers. “Let Trumpamania make America great again!”
Hogan again put his hand to his ear amid chants of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”
Dropping his Hulk Hogan persona, the wrestler then said, “My name is Terry Bollea. And as an entertainer…I try to stay out of politics.”
“But after everything that’s happened to our country over the past four years, and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent,” Hogan continued. “I’m here tonight because I want the world to know that Donald Trump is a real American hero, and I’m proud to support my hero as the next president of [these] United States.”
“They’ve thrown everything at Donald Trump,” Hogan went on to say. “All the investigations, the impeachments, the court cases, and he’s still standing and kicking their butts.”
While Trump has long enjoyed support among American evangelicals, the recent attempt on his life has seemingly catapulted him into an even more mythic status, as evidenced by the electric crowds at the RNC and an increase in religious overtones among many expressing their support for him.
Earlier this week, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene pointed to a tangled flag at the rally where Trump narrowly escaped the assassination attempt as evidence of God’s hand on Trump.
