Jim Cornette vs. Donald Trump: The Red & Blue Of Pro Wrestling
There’s the cliche that it’s a “fine line between love and hate” but that line Jim Cornette drew between he and Donald Trump is wider than the Mississippi River his home state rests alongside.
A rightful WWE Hall of Famer, Cornette clearly despises Trump, a 2013 celebrity inductee, who aims to reclaim the Oval Office once again this November. With Election Day less than a week out, there’s a fine line between politics and pro wrestling, and while an immense amount of hate is harbored from Cornette to Trump, Donald pulls quite a bit of promotional tactics from the world of wrestling. The distinct difference is one is just selling merchandise, the other is doing that and campaigning to be the next leader of the free world.
Two well-known no-no’s in the wrestling business have been to steer clear from politics and religion. If you’re currently in the ring or under a promotion’s umbrella, that notion (for the most part) still holds true. Very rarely do you see an AEW name, a WWE name or a “name your promotion” name take a political stand because when you’re in between the ropes, your goal should be to unite the people in an effort to make money.
The late great George Carlin said division is what makes the government run off the backs of the lower and middle classes. “It’s a big club and you ain’t in it,” unless you buy a ticket to take the ride, something those classes do in droves for pro wrestling. While the First Amendment gives everyone the right to speak their mind, doing such under a wrestling company’s eye could garner some repercussions. Good or bad, you’re not just representing yourself, but the promotion you work for.
That doesn’t stop the retired names from talking, however. Dave Bautista made it known he’ll be voting for Kamala Harris. She got the Venn diagram of pro wrestling and Juggalos with ICP’s support. Mick Foley shot a video believing America will have a “Nice Day” if you go to the polls for Harris/Waltz. Same goes for Kevin Nash, always an outspoken Clinton Democrat, “sidewalk slams” Trump’s bluster on a weekly basis. However, his fellow NWO member Hulk Hogan notoriously tore off his shirt for Trump and JD Vance at the Republican National Convention. Right after Bautista voiced his vote, Trump literally sat in between Undertaker and Kane for a TikTok video. “The Brothers Of Destruction” called out “The Animal,” making it known they’ll be voting for Donald on November 5. Trump was then the next guest on Undertaker’s podcast.
Jim Cornette Pulls No Political Punches
While Jim Cornette has never been one to mince words, he makes a point to saw off the end of the double barrel and fire away at anyone who evokes the name of Trump. He did just that with Undertaker and Kane.
“Another former great wrestler on the list of alien pod people duped by the world’s most repugnant con man. Mark & Glen, you made it this long with everyone admiring you, then in the end you ruin your reputations AND try to destroy the country along with them. I’m ashamed FOR you.”
Cornette was so motivated by many of his colleagues speaking their minds, the legendary manager ended up doing the same. Very rarely does Jim Cornette put himself on video (his podcast clips are mostly adorned with Hannah-Barbara like illustrations), but he made clear that “we’re all idiots” if we as a country put Trump back in office.
Cornette has been out of the mainstream pro wrestling spotlight for years, but has created his own relevancy via his podcasts and his undeniably astute takes on the business. Because of his brashness, particularly when it comes to AEW, Jim Cornette has created a fine division amongst the cesspool that is social media. Jim has cultivated his own “Cult of Cornette” that backs him and there are plenty of wrestlers (plenty) that agree with his philosophy on the business. I too find myself nodding along in agreement with a good deal of his thoughts. Granted, how he sometimes expresses said thoughts can cut deep and raise eyebrows, but that’s always been what made Cornette the legend he is in the business.
In a lot of ways that willingness to verbally flamethrow is what helped his ultimate heel become president. Before he was ever a primetime factor on “The Apprentice”, Trump’s ties to the WWE have been long-standing since WrestleMania 4. Lavie Margolin’s “TrumpMania” does an in-depth job at showing Donald’s continuous ties to pro wrestling before he became the 45th President covering his beef with Rosie O’Donnell, the potential influence of Dutch Mantell’s Zeb Colter. For basically a decade now, the “cult of personality” conjured up Donnie’s own passionate fanbase, filled with all types of wild merchandise to show your MAGA support.
However, there is a very distinct difference between Trump’s rise to power and Jim Cornette’s impact on the business. Cornette has been a bricklayer for how the house of pro wrestling has been presented while Trump is the result of a broken system courtesy of both parties. The lack of attention to the middle class in favor of what’s going on overseas, gave Americans an ax to grind and a division that is fiercer than anything ever exemplified in our lifetime.
Many Legends Don’t Let Politics Divide
While Cornette is more than willing to draw a line in the sand between he and his colleagues, others aim to not torch their longstanding relationships over political sides. On his podcast, Nash said despite Kane fully putting the “red” behind “Big Red Machine” he didn’t bury him alive for his stance, same with Hogan, who “Big Sexy” checked in on following Hurricane Milton. In Mick Foley’s ballot backing for Kamala, Mankind didn’t throw his friendship with The Undertaker off the cell either despite disagreeing with him, but much like Cornette did to him, Undertaker took a light jab at Bautista for backing Harris and Waltz.
Pro wrestling fandom sure has its fair share of tribalism and the political contention is quite thick between everyone with less than a week away.
“I can count on one hand the number of friends I lost over politics. Friendships are stronger, family is stronger, the things that draw us together are so much more meaningful than the things that divide us,” Foley said in an interview with CNN, noting how much respect he has for Undertaker despite their political differences.
“When I see him for the next time, we’ll hug it out, we’ll agree to disagree and we’ll do the best we can to keep a 30 year friendship going strong.”