President Donald Trump’s approval rating has plummeted to 32%, marking one of the lowest points of his presidency. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, registered voters favor Democrats over Republicans by 47% to 36% in the generic congressional ballot, with 73% of respondents expressing concern that the cost of living is heading in the wrong direction.
As the political landscape grows increasingly challenging for the president, his inner circle has turned to an unlikely source of support: celebrity boxers.
Led by former UFC Director of Communications Steven Cheung, Trump’s team has assembled a roster of combat sports personalities to bolster the president’s sagging popularity. Sources state that Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, and Floyd Mayweather have all appeared at campaign events alongside Trump, each bringing their own motivations to the political stage.
Mike Tyson, who recently launched a Netflix documentary series joined Trump at campaign stops in New York where the president is attempting to support Republican candidates in long-shot races.
At a Syracuse rally, Trump praised Tyson as “one of the greatest athletes in history,” while the former heavyweight champion declared, “I’m just happy to be up here with my president, President Trump, and there’s no way in the world I would ever be here if it wasn’t for a president like Donald Trump.”
Jake Paul, the YouTube star turned professional boxer who is reportedly recovering from injuries, appeared in his home state of Ohio to campaign for Republican candidates. Paul delivered a more substantive political message than his fellow athletes, urging voters to protect the state and naming specific candidates and election dates.
Trump even hinted that Paul might pursue political office himself, offering his “complete and total endorsement” for any future campaign.
Perhaps most intriguing is the appearance of Floyd Mayweather, who recently made headlines by claiming he was defrauded of hundreds of millions of dollars. The retired boxing champion faces ongoing legal troubles with the IRS, leading some observers to speculate about his motives for aligning with the president.
At a Trump rally, Mayweather praised America and stated, “We couldn’t have chose a better president twice than Donald Trump.”
Trump’s relationship with combat sports dates back decades to his days promoting boxing matches in Atlantic City. This year alone, he hosted UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14th and purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of TKO Group holdings stock in March.
The reliance on celebrity athletes represents a significant shift for Trump’s political operation. Following the UFC White House event, many mixed martial arts athletes have remained notably silent about the president, creating a void that Cheung and his team have struggled to fill. The silence from the broader combat sports community has been particularly apparent compared to Trump’s earlier political campaigns.
