The very title of the group itself sounds like something out of a movie—the Great American Economic Revival Industry Group. Put together by President Trump himself, the group features several influential figures in sports and live entertainment.
Included in the group is New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and UFC President Dana White.
Oh, and it also features former part-time grappler and head of pro wrestling company WWE, Vince McMahon.
Or as President Trump announced him at the White House press conference:
The great Vince McMahon.
Yeah. One of the advisers on how the economy should try to bounce back from the most serious pandemic the world has seen in recent history is the guy who won the Royal Rumble in 1999.
The statement announcing this group read as follows:
Today, President Donald J. Trump announced many of the esteemed executives, economists, scholars, and industry leaders who together will form various Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups. These bipartisan groups of American leaders will work together with the White House to chart the path forward toward a future of unparalleled American prosperity. The health and wealth of America is the primary goal, and these groups will produce a more independent, self-sufficient, and resilient Nation.
Try to look past the hilarity that is pro wrestling. solely from a business standpoint, you could argue that McMahon has a lot to offer.
WWE saw out 2019 reporting total revenue of $960.4 million, so they’re doing something right.
The problem for President Trump is that bringing the grappling king onboard means associated baggage.
Florida’s Republican Governor Ron Desantis incredibly believes that pro wrestling should be classified “essential business” during the coronavirus lockdown.
His reason? The public needs new content to watch right now:
People are chomping at the bit. If you think about it, we have never had a period like this in modern American history where you’ve had so little new content, particularly in the sporting realm. I mean, we are watching reruns from like the early 2000s.
Apparently, Tiger King and Too Hot to Handle aren’t quite enough crap for the masses to gawk at during the lockdown.
Of course, his decision has absolutely nothing to do with an agreement by a pro-Trump super PAC run by McMahon’s wife to donate $18.5 million to the President Trump reelection campaign in Florida.
Orlando Sentinel sports writer Mike Bianchi summed up the situation perfectly, saying:
It’s certainly no secret that DeSantis and President Donald Trump are strong allies. And it’s also common knowledge that Trump and Vince McMahon, the chairman, and owner of WWE, are strong allies.
The donation was announced on the very day that WWE confirms they would be returning to live television from a custom-built studio in Orlando. That is beyond blatant.
These are people who not only see fit to offer what is essentially a bribe to government officials but who are brazen enough to do so on the same day their favor is granted.
McMahon, being the power-hungry lunatic he is, probably would have loved the idea of being president.
In his friend President Trump, he has the next best thing.