WWE and Trump

[Chris B]

Linda McMahon at the senate hearing with Triple H behind her in support feels like a bigger topic than 'Wrestlers say the stupidest things'.

The links have been there forever, obviously, but it's just constant. There's been Trump's appearances, McMahon's funding, their foundation, and now Linda McMahon's now hugely visible role.

Even on a smaller level, you've got Trump's PR team talking about how important podcasts were for his campaign (including Logan Paul and the Undertaker), and both of them turning up for big shows while Taker goes back to using Kid Rock.

Just fucking exhausting.

https://bsky.app/profile/jordanuhl.com/post/3li2xoom4hs22

[Hannibal Scorch]

I think the arguments that WWE are not the same company now that Vince isn't involved are no longer valid after yesterday. It would have been less incriminating if HHH wasn't the new face of the company, kicking off shows, holding press conferences and being in the spotlight so much. Literally in some cases

 

But yeah, sitting their whilst your Mum in Law is saying she wants to allow private schools to turn down students who are disabled or based on their race and talking about defunding schools that teach black history? That is not a good look, but it will have absolutely zero impact on their business. 

[Supremo]

Looking forward to the Elimination Chamber post-show presser. Those journalists will really take him to town!

"Hi Hunter, congratulations on tonight's event. We saw you in the Senate the other week, supporting Linda as she discussed potentially defunding schools that teach black history, so my question to you is simple: How do you find the time to be such an amazing, supportive son-in-law, and still put on such a phenomenally successful product?"

[deathrey]

I'd just started watching the odd bit of Raw again now it's on Netflix, guess this is a reminder to knock watching Raw on its head. Cretins.

Edited February 14 by deathrey

[d-d-d-dAz]

I'm struggling to see the story here, besides maybe that Triple H seems to have taken Linda's side in the divorce. Which is surprising.

Trump isn't some mad fringe figure, he's very UnBritish/UnEuropean so we're all still reeling from the awfulness of it, but he's the elected President of the United States and currently enjoying his highest ever approval ratings. Mainstream politics in the US has bent around his ridiculous form.

Papa H isn't goosestepping at a Klan rally (at least not in this picture), he's at the most establishment of establishment events, amongst other members of the establishment.

I'm surprised anyone is even bothered to comment on this. It's no surprise that WWE are Republicans, it's definitely no surprise that they support actual WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump.

And if this is the red line that makes you cancel your Netflix subscription, you may as well cancel anything related to Google, Meta, most major tech providers, most major banks, McDonalds and most other fast food providers and pretty much everything besides. They're all bending the knee and cancelling valuable work in the inclusion space to satisfy Trump and his now very mainstream agenda.

 

[TheScarlettChad]

Just now, d-d-d-dAz said:

I'm struggling to see the story here, besides maybe that Triple H seems to have taken Linda's side in the divorce. Which is surprising.

Trump isn't some mad fringe figure, he's very UnBritish/UnEuropean so we're all still reeling from the awfulness of it, but he's the elected President of the United States and currently enjoying his highest ever approval ratings. Mainstream politics in the US has bent around his ridiculous form.

Papa H isn't goosestepping at a Klan rally (at least not in this picture), he's at the most establishment of establishment events, amongst other members of the establishment.

I'm surprised anyone is even bothered to comment on this. It's no surprise that WWE are Republicans, it's definitely no surprise that they support actual WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump.

And if this is the red line that makes you cancel your Netflix subscription, you may as well cancel anything related to Google, Meta, most major tech providers, most major banks, McDonalds and most other fast food providers and pretty much everything besides. They're all bending the knee and cancelling valuable work in the inclusion space to satisfy Trump and his now very mainstream agenda.

 

I have to agree. If you want to boycott Trump, just go off the grid. No internet of any kind.

Also I'm still going to enjoy WWE. I couldn't give a toss, about Hunter's opinions. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 minute ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I'm struggling to see the story here,

And that's a stance you can take. My line was when the Ashley stuff came out and I haven't put a penny their way (directly) since. And yes you can say bUt WhAt AbOuT... and thats also fine, but sometimes some things are easier to cancel then others, or maybe you draw the line for those things differently, again your choice.

People still defend Vince, I have seen a lot of people recently who still want him back in the company. People are allowed questionable takes and decisons. But I don't think it's wrong to feel disgusted or angry about this nor do I think it's bad if people think it's ok. Everyone is entitled to an opinon, regardless of how wrong it is.  

[TheScarlettChad]

3 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

And that's a stance you can take. My line was when the Ashley stuff came out and I haven't put a penny their way (directly) since. And yes you can say bUt WhAt AbOuT... and thats also fine, but sometimes some things are easier to cancel then others, or maybe you draw the line for those things differently, again your choice.

People still defend Vince, I have seen a lot of people recently who still want him back in the company. People are allowed questionable takes and decisons. But I don't think it's wrong to feel disgusted or angry about this nor do I think it's bad if people think it's ok. Everyone is entitled to an opinon, regardless of how wrong it is.  

People who defend Vince are either bad faith trolls or are utter morons. Nobody should defend him, whatsoever.

[d-d-d-dAz]

2 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

And that's a stance you can take. My line was when the Ashley stuff came out and I haven't put a penny their way (directly) since. And yes you can say bUt WhAt AbOuT... and thats also fine, but sometimes some things are easier to cancel then others, or maybe you draw the line for those things differently, again your choice.

People still defend Vince, I have seen a lot of people recently who still want him back in the company. People are allowed questionable takes and decisons. But I don't think it's wrong to feel disgusted or angry about this nor do I think it's bad if people think it's ok. Everyone is entitled to an opinon, regardless of how wrong it is.  

I don't know why were conflating the two though.

This is specifically about WWE and Trump as being uniquely shocking or surprising or worthy of fury.

Trump was equally terrible in 2016 and people weren't cancelling WWE or... checks notes .. the Khan family for their companies massive donations to Trump and his inauguration.

It's American big business, of course they've bent the knee for Trump. Same as Amazon, Meta, Google... the lot of them. Triple H supporting Trump is neither shocking, nor connected to the sexual allegations against the company.

'Vince was an abuser, and look Triple H being a republican' doesn't make sense.

[deathrey]

I guess everyone's lines are different, it's easy in my head for me to assume Trips is not supportive of racist and ableist policies but when he stands behind his mother in law whilst she's announcing them, that shows me some active support on his part. I wasn't a wrestling viewer anymore but had started to watch again due to easy access, now I won't watch. 

[The Reverend]

The only thing I'm shocked by is that the WWE are actually connected to something 'of the now'. It's not often they're on the cutting edge of today's world. What is absolutely crazy when I think about it, is how the POTUS has such a long legacy with the WWE. Not only the Hall of Fame, but WM IV and V, the match at Wrestlemania and also that he was sitting ringside at Wrestlemania VII (thanks Netflix). The world's most powerful leader (probably) and a piece of pop-culture that many still consider rather beneath acceptable standards. Crazy.  

[Hannibal Scorch]

12 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I don't know why were conflating the two though.

This is specifically about WWE and Trump as being uniquely shocking or surprising or worthy of fury.

Trump was equally terrible in 2016 and people weren't cancelling WWE or... checks notes .. the Khan family for their companies massive donations to Trump and his inauguration.

It's American big business, of course they've bent the knee for Trump. Same as Amazon, Meta, Google... the lot of them. Triple H supporting Trump is neither shocking, nor connected to the sexual allegations against the company.

'Vince was an abuser, and look Triple H being a republican' doesn't make sense.

I mean the none of the Khan Family are trying to have a position in Trumps cabinet and are saying full with their chest that minorities and disabled children will be affected by their decisions. If you think this is the same thing as companies donating money to political parties, I don't think we're looking at this the same way.

When Mania 4 and 5 happened, Trump was not the same person he is today. Hell, when he was inducted into the hall of fame he wasn't even running for president. But now this is happening, and the face of the company is nodding and supporting one of the most important (former) people in the WWE in seniority, who is also currently part of a lawsuit about their knowledge and cover up of the Ring Boy scandal, as they try to cause a seismic shift to American education at the expense of those people I mentioned previously. If that doesn't change your views of either HHH or WWE, good for you.  

[d-d-d-dAz]

20 minutes ago, deathrey said:

I guess everyone's lines are different, it's easy in my head for me to assume Trips is not supportive of racist and ableist policies but when he stands behind his mother in law whilst she's announcing them, that shows me some active support on his part. I wasn't a wrestling viewer anymore but had started to watch again due to easy access, now I won't watch. 

And I think that's perfectly justifiable. But I personally can't make that decision, as I'm not also going to stop shopping on Amazon, using Instagram, searching things on Google or occasionally hating myself for eating a McDonalds.

If people are able to do that, more power to them. But treating WWE as if they're somehow unique or weird for supporting Trump is strange to me.

Let's be clear, if I'm still watching after the moral morass of the Vince scandal, it'll probably take a lot more than 'WWE supports elected government' to shake me off.

Also, worth saying, no one needs to holier than thou me. I'm not supporting them or trying to justfiy their actions or whatever. There's a real part of me that wishes I could cut the cord and never watch again. But life is short, miserable and I really like watching Wrestlemania. Sue me.

We all feed the wrestling economy, no ones above the swamp. Everyone needs to get a grip. My main point is that here, this story barely registers as a blip on the WWE's moral shadiness radar.

Edited February 14 by d-d-d-dAz

[RedTwoster]

1 hour ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

 

I think the arguments that WWE are not the same company now that Vince isn't involved are no longer valid after yesterday.

 

I think it’s more complicated than that. Triple H being there doesn’t in itself tell us anything about his own political views, any more than you being on Twitter tells me about yours. It’s a family member, and she likely invited him.

What it does do, however, is open him up to necessary scrutiny and questions - some of which should have been asked anyway.

Did he agree with Linda? Why isn’t WWE celebrating Black History Month this year, and was it wrong to do it in the past? Was it - and I hate this term - ‘virtue-signalling’ when it did? What do Black wrestlers think of him being there, and where does he stand when it comes to the importance of diversity and representation in wrestling; not only of Black wrestlers, but of LGBTQ+ people? 

Loads of companies are bending the knee to Trump, and WWE seems no different in that respect. And they should be called out on it, and why they’ve done a sharp left turn after previously supporting diversity.

Finn Balor has worn pride colours in the past, and Punk - albeit in AEW - wore a t-shirt promoting trans rights. Would they be allowed to do that, and if not, why not? Questions like that should be asked of any company supporting this drive to push down minority groups, and they should be pushed hard on it. I’d like to see Triple H pushed to the point he either gives a proper answer or squirms at the next WWE presser. I don’t think that’ll happen, though.

11 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

I mean the none of the Khan Family are trying to have a position in Trumps cabinet and are saying full with their chest that minorities and disabled children will be affected by their decisions. If you think this is the same thing as companies donating money to political parties, I don't think we're looking at this the same way.

Given that Shad Khan donated to Trump, I think Tony Khan should be asked similar questions. He’s not responsible for his dad’s actions any more than Triple H is for Linda’s, but Khan has, in the past, commendably stood up for Nyla Rose in the face of anti-trans abuse, and I think it’s important he’s asked if he’d do the same in the current climate and also where he stands on all of this. Hopefully he’d simply reiterate what he said previously; but I think the question is still one that should be asked.

Edited February 14 by RedTwoster

[tiger_rick]

32 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I'm struggling to see the story here

Who's surprised? 

33 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Papa H isn't goosestepping at a Klan rally 

That's OK then. Sure his black and ethnic minority workers will feel much better knowing this racist he's supporting isn't the boss-level of racists, just a pretty bad level.

33 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

And if this is the red line that makes you cancel your Netflix subscription, you may as well cancel anything related to Google, Meta, most major tech providers, most major banks, McDonalds and most other fast food providers and pretty much everything besides. They're all bending the knee and cancelling valuable work in the inclusion space to satisfy Trump and his now very mainstream agenda.

If this is your line, good for you. Don't feel pressured by this load of bollocks. There are plenty of things we (unfortunately) can't live without. And most tech providers and your bank are part of that. If you can live without some pro-wrestling company, then do so. Good for you for taking a stand. Personally, I do. And I can live without X. And I could live without McDonalds once I work out what they've done wrong. 

Do whatever makes you happy. We're all people. Don't be letting someone quash the argument though. I won't.