"We lost a great friend today": President Donald Trump pays tribute to Hulk Hogan after WWE icon dies at 71

Following the passing of WWE icon Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Gene Bollea), U.S. President Donald Trump was one of many to pay tribute. Hulk Hogan passed away aged 71 from a cardiac arrest, in his Clearwater, Florida home on July 24, 2025. Trump said in a Truth Social post, “We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster.’ Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, which was one of the highlights of the entire week. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!”Donald Trump's media adviser on Hogan's loyalty and enthusiasm for politics, stating that he had always played a role in working with the "Make America Great Again" movement. In July 2024, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Hogan shocked the nation in full "Trumpamania" style. When looking like he was getting ready to go the full Rambo, ripping his shirt open and revealing a Trump campaign tank top, he yelled, "Let Trumpamania run wild! That speech was, he said, “one of the highlights of the entire week,” indicating cultural relevance.Aside from that memorable encounter, Hogan continued to be a Trump booster. He also hit the campaign trail with Trump Jr. and other MAGA stars, making appearances at rallies and banging the drum for Trump’s agenda, including endorsing Trump’s Real American beer brand on Truth Social.Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan's relationship goes back to the 1980s and was first strengthened when it was first introduced at WWE events and Trump's casino interests in Atlantis City. They met at WrestleMania IV and V, which were held at Trump Plaza, and the two formed a mutual admiration society. Although Hogan told me their relationship was “more casual, though meaningful,” Trump apparently saw him as a close aide, calling him a “great friend.”In his tribute, Trump extended his sympathies to Hogan's wife, Sky, and his two children, Brooke and Nick, calling Hogan as lovely as he was, "talented.” Trump said he conveys his best wishes and love to "his wife, Sky, and family."Also Read: Hulk Hogan's death: Health issues, cardiac arrest, and the life he left behindWWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan changed the professional wrestling landscape in the 1980s with his larger-than-life image and trademark catchphrases. He has main-evented eight of the first nine Wrestlemanias and appeared in the mainstream, with parts in Rocky III and a ride of his own with Hogan Knows Best. He remained a presence, even if controversial (he was briefly removed from the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2015, only to be reinstated in 2020).The tribute from Trump is likewise mirrored by those from Hogan's WWE peers—Ric Flair, Brutus Beefcake, and from fellow MAGA sounders such as Vice President JD Vance, who deemed Hogan a "great American icon". The far-reaching condolences reflect Hogan's storied success in both entertainment and politics, and in Trump's orbit.