Why the Hell Is Hulk Hogan Speaking at the RNC?

Let me tell you something, brother: For some reason, one of the scheduled speakers for the Republican National Convention Thursday night is retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Hogan doesn’t have a long history of political activism, unless you count his “run” for president as a publicity stunt two decades ago, making his appearance all the more puzzling. His peak days of being the top star in the wrestling world and starring in B and C movies are well behind him.

It’s only recently that Mr. America managed to overcome the 2015 scandal of uttering a racial slur in a leaked sex tape that resurfaced, after which he returned to making appearances in the pro wrestling world. The fallout from that tape might have gotten him into right-wing politics too.

Also in 2015, Hogan would sue Gawker Media, the company behind the publication of that video, with tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a conservative with a vendetta against Gawker for outing him in 2007, funding the lawsuit. Hogan would win the suit and be awarded $115 million, bankrupting Gawker.

Last month, Hogan appeared on Fox and Friends and said, “If you need a president or vice president, I’ll volunteer and take this country over, and I’ll rule with an iron fist.” Since Senator J.D. Vance has since been named the Republican vice presidential nominee (also with Thiel’s support), it looks like Trump wasn’t looking for Hogan’s version of an iron fist or even his signature leg drop on the ticket.

But maybe that’s what Republicans are looking for on the last night of the RNC: a celebrity has-been wrapped in the flag, with allegations of racism in his past, whose career includes an infamous heel turn to give the convention some social media attention. Doesn’t that describe Donald Trump in 2016 too? Just like the Hulkster, Trump even has ties to pro wrestling. And like any MAGA Republican, the two call themselves “real Americans” but refuse to fight for the rights of every man.