As WWE Smackdown‘s move to Fox in October approaches, reports and rumors have emerged about how the show will change on its new channel and how it will stay the same. Fox reportedly has plans to make the arrival of Smackdown on their channel feel like a big deal, and, according to Sportskeeda, those include requesting an appearance from the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Though Trump on Smackdown is presented as something that Fox is trying to make happen rather than something that will happen, Sportskeeda includes a quote from a “member of the WWE creative team” that makes it seem like it’s already being worked on: “FOX have asked for Trump so I’m trying to write something short and easy for him that makes him look good. Vince doesn’t like us to say anything bad about Trump so I’m just doing the best I can.”
Trump has a long history with WWE that has landed him a spot in the company’s Hall of Fame. He sponsored WrestleMania IV and V in 1988-1989, was interviewed by Jesse Ventura at WrestleMania 20, and participated in a feud with Vince McMahon in the mid-2000s that included a hair vs. hair match fought by Umaga and Bobby Lashley on the billionaires’ behalves at WrestleMania 23. He also thought McMahon really died in a limo explosion on Raw. Outside of the wrestling world, the relationship between Trump and the McMahon family has included Linda McMahon serving as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration – after a vetting process that means there’s now a government document with a list of all major WWE controversies.
While Trump appearing on Smackdown would probably appeal to some people and would certainly draw attention to the product, it would also like turn some wrestling fans and potential new viewers off. Sure, he’s the president, but he’s a president whose approval rating is between 38 and 44 percent. And if people want to watch wrestling on basic cable in America this fall but don’t want Donald Trump to be part of that experience, they’ll have another option.
