In the wake of former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan’s passing, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave a speech honoring him for his status as an American icon who did much to inspire kids who grew up in the era that he changed pro wrestling so much, and who was a kind and good man in his personal life.
As background, Mr. Hogan died of a cardiac arrest, with paramedics being called to his home in Clearwater, Florida, in the early morning on Thursday, July 24. The wrestler’s sad and unexpected death came just weeks after TMZ reported that the Hulkster was in relatively good shape, and not on death’s doorstep as some had claimed.
Gov. DeSantis gave a speech about Hogan, a Floridian, and his life, in the wake of his passing. Doing so, he commented on Hogan being a superhero for his generation, saying, “[Hulk Hogan] was a major icon for anybody in Gen X, I can tell you, anyone growing up in the 80s, and the 90s. He really was a star…As a young kid, that was somebody that’s like, ‘Wow, that’s our superhero.'”
As he did so, an angry protester in the room started shouting, asking if the Alligator Alcatraz detention center was his “f***ing legacy.” Continuing, the angry heckler absurdly declared that Gov. DeSantis had, in getting along with Trump, “bowed down to a pedophile,” and that Gov. DeSantis himself was a “pedophile.”
DeSantis wasn’t fazed, and made a show of ridiculing the heckler. First, when the heckling was starting, he “Hey, stop, stop, stop!” Then, as the heckling continued and the deranged protester started yelling about “pedophiles,” DeSantis made a show of kicking him out of the event, saying, “Get out of here, get out of here.”
Once the heckler was removed by security, Gov. DeSantis went back to praising the Hulkster. Commenting on how cool it was to learn that Hogan was from around the same area, he said, “The fact that he was from the Tampa Bay area when I’m growing up there, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, like, this guy, this guy lives in our area.'”
He then recounted one of his recollections of Hogan’s career, saying, “He’s fighting Andre the Giant. And look, I was a kid. I didn’t know that it was choreographed, right? I mean, I was like really worried that he wasn’t going to be able to, but he slammed Andre the Giant.” He added that the moment was “a huge thing for kids in that era.”
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Changing eras and commenting on the present, DeSantis shared how cool it was to get to meet Hogan in person, saying, “We were with him just a couple of months ago. My kids got to meet them and everything. So I was really sad to see that. And our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and people throughout this region of Florida, because I know so many people cared about him.”
Watch him here:
Outpourings of memories about the Hulkster came online in the wake of his passing. Gov. DeSantis, for example, tweeted, “Sad to hear that Hulk Hogan has passed away. The Hulkster was an icon for so many of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s, and he was a Floridian through and through. RIP, Brother.”
Similarly, President Trump posted, “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, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video