Mick Foley, a WWE legend, announced on Tuesday that he was parting ways with the WWE because of President Donald Trump’s “incredibly cruel” remarks about Rob Reiner after his death.
Foley, a WWE Hall of Famer, helped define WWE’s “Attitude Era” and beat The Rock for the WWE title in 1999 before retiring in 2000. He returned to the WWE as a commissioner and commentator.
Foley posted on Instagram that his concerns about WWE’s close relationship with Trump had been stewing for months, but Trump’s comments about Reiner were the “final straw.”
Why It Matters
Trump has a long history with WWE, dating back to his on-screen appearances in the mid-2000s and culminating in his 2013 induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Trump’s personal and business ties to the McMahon family — particularly Linda McMahon, who’s serving as his Secretary of Education — have repeatedly placed WWE in the political spotlight.
While many celebrities and companies have shied away from the president over concerns it’ll be too divisive, the WWE has embraced the president. He’s been seen at matches and gotten support from some of the biggest stars. But, Trump’s comments about Reiner’s death sparked widespread condemnation, including from Republicans, calling into question whether companies with ties to the president would have to address the issue.
What to Know
On Monday, Trump said Reiner was killed because of his “raging obsession” with him and the “anger” that Reiner caused due of his “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Despite the backlash, Trump refused to back down from it, telling reporters later in the day that Reiner became a “deranged person.”
In Foley’s Instagram post, he said that he doesn’t want to represent a company that “coddles a man so seemingly void of compassion as he marches our country towards autocracy.” He said he informed talent relations that he wouldn’t make any more appearances for the company while Trump was president.
“Additionally, I will not be signing a new Legends deal when my current one expires in June. I love WWE, will always treasure my time with them, and I am deeply appreciative for all the opportunities they afforded me. But, in the words of Popeye the sailor, ‘I stands all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more,'” Foley said.
Newsweek reached out to Foley and the WWE via email for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
On Monday, Foley posted to his Instagram story that he co-signed singer Jack White’s comments on Trump’s remarks. White called Trump a “disgusting, vile, egomaniac, loser, child.” White said the comments were indefensible and called it a “corrupt and narcissistic sin” to use someone’s death to “promote your own vanity and fascist authoritarian agenda.”
What They’re Saying
White, in a post on Instagram: “Shame on you trump and anyone who defends this. God bless you Rob Reiner and thank you for what you gave the world. I never even met you and I still stand by you.”
Foley, in an Instagram story: “How any of my WWE colleagues can stand by, let alone stand next to this man is beyond me.”
What Happens Next
What is clear is that Foley’s decision marks one of the most prominent breaks between a high‑profile wrestling legend and the company over political controversy in years, but the WWE is in a tough spot in how — or if — they respond to his departure, given McMahon’s work for the Trump administration.
