Help keep Salon independent

Sylvester Stallone hails Trump as the “second George Washington”

“We’re in the presence of a really mythical character," Stallone said of Trump during an event at Mar-a-Lago

Senior Culture Editor

Published

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets actor Sylvester Stallone onstage at the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-a-Lago on November 14, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets actor Sylvester Stallone onstage at the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-a-Lago on November 14, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

On Thursday, Sylvester Stallone enthusiastically praised Donald Trump at the America First Policy Institute gala, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, comparing him to America's founding father and, in a bold swing, Jesus himself. 

“When George Washington defended this country, he had no idea that he was gonna change the world,” Stallone said, prior to introducing the president-elect. "Because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington!"

Veering off down memory lane, the actor regaled the crowd with an anecdote about "Rocky," using it as a segue to equate Trump with an even bigger historical figure, the son of God.

“When I did ‘Rocky,’ remember the first image was a picture of Jesus,” Stallone said. “The image pans out from Jesus onto Rocky being hit, and at that moment, he was a chosen person. And that’s how I began the journey. Something was going to happen. This man was going to go through a metamorphosis and change lives — just like president Trump."

As The Hill points out, this is not the first time that Stallone has been a special guest at Mar-a-Lago, popping up at the Florida resort several times over the years.  

Watch his introduction speech from Thursday here:

By Kelly McClure

Kelly McClure is Salon's Senior Culture Editor, where she helps further coverage of TV, film, music, books and culture trends from a unique and thoughtful angle. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes

MORE FROM Kelly McClure

Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Related Articles