At this point in his political career, it would be cliché to compare Donald Trump to a pro wrestler.
Then again, if the boot fits…
On Monday, WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque appeared on comedian Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast. And while much of the conversation was dedicated to promoting this weekend’s WrestleMania 41 event, it also touched on various topics, including President Donald Trump.
At one point in the interview, Levesque was asked whether he figured Trump would win the 2024 election based on his ability to generate “heat” — a pro wrestling term for attracting attention, good or bad. In answering, the 14-time world heavyweight champion pointed to an abundance of pro wrestling influence in the 45th and 47th presidents’ public persona, whether intentional or not.
“I think Trump’s ability as an orator, as — like him or hate him — the way he does it. But he’s charismatic in so many ways. And I think he likes getting under people’s skin. I think he likes generating [heat].
“It’s amazing, and it’s genius. And it worked in our business. Do I think he got that from our business? I think he innately understands that it’s been his whole life. You think about that. Like why — there’s a lot of billionaires in the world, I suppose — why was he the most famous one? Why was he the one that was in People Magazine every weekend with everybody under the sun? Why was he seen as the epitome of that billionaire sort of status and all that stuff? Because of his charisma and his character and who he is and the way he can speak about it and do all those things. He just captivates people. And I think it’s why he is where he is.”
Triple H on Donald Trump:
“Trump’s ability, like him or hate him the way he does it… he’s charismatic in so many ways, and I think he likes getting under peoples skin, generating heat. It’s amazing and it’s genius.”
pic.twitter.com/EmeU1p7nvG— Drainmaker (@DrainBamager) April 14, 2025
While Levesque qualified his comments with “like him or hate him,” it’s worth noting that the master of the Pedigree is hardly a neutral observer here. Not only is Trump a member of the WWE Hall of Fame thanks to various company involvement over the years, but Levesque’s mother-in-law (and former WWE CEO), Linda McMahon, is also the current Secretary of Education.
That’s not to say there isn’t any truth in the comments made by Levesque, who is hardly the first person to draw comparisons between Trump and the world of pro wrestling. If anything, Triple H’s praise raises the question of whether we might see the WWE Hall of Famer-turned-leader of the free world make his long-awaited return to the pro wrestling promotion for WrestleMania this weekend.
