Mike Tyson on Trump: 'We've Never Seen Any President Like This Before'
Mike Tyson is standing firmly behind President Trump.
The former heavyweight champion spoke about Trump on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime" earlier this year. "We've never seen any president like this before," Tyson said. "My whole experience with President Trump is that he's just a genuine real person. If he got your back, he's with you 100%."
Tyson was on the show to promote an ad he made for the administration's "Make America Healthy Again" campaign, the health push led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The ad aired during the Super Bowl on February 8. Tyson has talked for years about changing his diet and his health after retiring, which made him a natural pick for the campaign. The questions about Trump came up during that interview, and Tyson answered without being pressed.
This week Tyson went a step further. He flew with President Trump from Washington to Syracuse, New York, and joined him on stage at the Oncenter Convention Center. The rally was for Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor of New York. "I'm just happy to be up here with my president, President Trump," Tyson told the crowd. "There's no way in the world I would ever be here if there wasn't a president like Donald Trump."
Trump returned the praise. "He was a very dangerous person actually, and he was one of the greatest fighters in history," he said. "He was a real champ. People were afraid to fight him. He was something special." He joked that he would never fight Tyson, and said Tyson's team once had to hold him back from going after opponents. Trump also joked that Tyson would serve as Blakeman's bodyguard.
The two go back decades. In the late 1980s, Trump hosted some of Tyson's biggest fights at his Atlantic City casinos, including the 1988 bout against Michael Spinks, which Tyson won in 91 seconds. Trump also advised Tyson during a dispute over his management contract. Tyson has called Trump a longtime friend ever since.
Tyson is not the only fighter in Trump's corner. Stars from boxing and the UFC have shown up at Trump events over the past two years, and the president has made a habit of appearing at big fight nights.
Tyson's support has drawn mixed reactions. His February comments came shortly after a controversy over a video Trump shared about the Obamas, and some fans criticized his timing. After the Syracuse rally, some social media users accused him of being a prop for the campaign. Trump reposted a message saying the critics simply dislike seeing a Black legend standing next to him. Others praised Tyson for standing by a friend he has known for nearly 40 years, no matter the backlash. For Tyson, it seems simple: he says Trump had his back, so he has Trump's.
Do you agree with Mike Tyson about President Trump? YES OR NO?
