The wrestling world lost an icon this week when Hulk Hogan passed away at 71.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stepped up to honor the WWE legend with a touching tribute that captured what Hogan meant to an entire generation.
But Ron DeSantis got ambushed by one unhinged protester during this heartfelt tribute that left security scrambling.
DeSantis delivers heartfelt tribute to Hulk Hogan
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at his Clearwater Beach home on Thursday, sending shockwaves through the sports entertainment world and beyond.¹
The 71-year-old WWE Hall of Famer wasn’t just a wrestling superstar – he was a cultural phenomenon who helped bring professional wrestling into the mainstream during the 1980s boom period.
Governor DeSantis took time during a press conference at the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton to pay his respects to the fallen icon.
“Before I get into the gist of today’s information, just as a Floridian—someone who grew up in West Central Florida—I was sad to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away today,” DeSantis said with genuine emotion.²
“He was a major icon for anybody in Gen X. Growing up in the ’80s and early ’90s, he was already a star before Hulkamania even took off. I remember seeing him as Thunderlips in Rocky III, and a few years later he became WWF Champion. As a kid, it felt like we had our own superhero—especially knowing he was from the Tampa Bay area. That really meant something to all of us who grew up there.”
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1948475915379638338
The Governor’s heartfelt words struck a chord with anyone who remembered the golden era of professional wrestling and what it felt like to have a hometown hero.
It was the kind of genuine tribute that reminded you why people still respect DeSantis – no political theater, just a guy remembering his childhood hero.
Then some lunatic decided to ruin it.
Unhinged protester launches vicious attack during tribute
DeSantis was halfway through talking about WrestleMania III when this maniac in the back started screaming about politics. Here’s a Governor sharing memories of watching Andre the Giant get body-slammed, and this guy can’t help himself.
“Alligator Alcatraz – is that your f****** legacy!?” the unidentified protester screamed at the top of his lungs.³
The outburst was jarring and completely inappropriate for what should have been a solemn moment of remembrance.
But the unhinged leftist wasn’t finished with his disgusting display.
It was a stomach-turning display that showed just how far the unhinged Left will go to disrupt even the most basic acts of human decency.
Look, DeSantis has dealt with worse than some screaming nutjob at a press conference.
The guy pointed at the lunatic and said “get out of here” like he was shooing away a mosquito, then picked up his Hogan story exactly where he left off.
“I was really worried that he wasn’t going to be able to, but he slammed Andre the Giant,” DeSantis continued, picking up right where he left off. “That was a huge thing for kids in that era.”
You want to talk about a perfect snapshot of where we are as a country? There it was – DeSantis trying to honor a guy who made kids believe in heroes, and some woke lunatic screaming conspiracy theories because he can’t turn off the politics for five minutes.
The Left’s war on basic human decency continues
Here’s what gets me about these people.
Hulk Hogan just died. The guy was 71, had a heart attack, and DeSantis is sharing childhood memories like any normal human being would do.
But these leftists are so eaten up with Trump Derangement Syndrome they can’t even let that happen.
The protester’s rantings about “Alligator Alcatraz” – the federal detention facility in the Florida Everglades – and his vile accusations show a mind completely consumed by political derangement.
Here was DeSantis, speaking from the heart about childhood memories and what Hulk Hogan meant to Florida kids growing up in the 1980s.
It was the kind of genuine, human moment that transcends politics – a grown man remembering what it felt like to have a hometown hero.
See, the Left needs guys like DeSantis to be monsters because their whole worldview falls apart if Republicans turn out to be regular people who get emotional about childhood memories.
They need Republicans to be cartoon villains so their political narrative works.
When DeSantis shows genuine affection for a cultural icon, it breaks their carefully constructed hate machine.
So they send in the unhinged protesters to disrupt and destroy any moment of human connection.
Think about that for a second. This guy interrupted a tribute to a dead wrestling legend to scream about politics.
What kind of person does that? What’s wrong with you that you can’t keep your mouth shut while someone remembers Hulk Hogan?
DeSantis shows real leadership under pressure
Meanwhile, DeSantis showed exactly why Florida voters keep backing him.
No drama, no Twitter tantrums, no getting into a shouting match with some unhinged activist.
The guy just dealt with it and moved on. Security removed the nutjob, DeSantis finished talking about Andre the Giant, and that was that.
Deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office hauled the protester out of there, and Bradenton Police gave him a trespass warning.⁵
They caught the whole embarrassing spectacle on video, which pretty much sums up the choice we’re facing.
You’ve got leaders who know how to act like adults when things get weird, and then you’ve got people who think screaming conspiracy theories at a Hulk Hogan tribute makes some kind of political point.
Not exactly a tough call for anyone with half a brain.
Hulk Hogan deserved better than having his tribute interrupted by a screaming maniac.
But his memory will live on in the hearts of fans who remember what he meant to an entire generation of kids who believed in heroes.
¹ Amber Jo Cooper, “Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan passes away in Florida,” Florida News, July 24, 2025.
² PWMania.com Staff, “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Pays Tribute To Hulk Hogan As Protestor Interrupts,” PWMania.com, July 24, 2025.
³ Noa Halff, “Ron DeSantis is heckled by unhinged screaming protester during Hulk Hogan tribute,” Daily Mail, July 24, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Michael Moore Jr., “Heckler removed after angry outburst at Gov. DeSantis event in Bradenton,” Bradenton Herald, July 24, 2025.
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Author: rgcory
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