Donald Trump Names Vince McMahon as an Advisor to Help Restart US Economy

President Donald Trump announced in his press conference on Tuesday that he was putting together a [...]

By Connor Casey

President Donald Trump announced in his press conference on Tuesday that he was putting together a group of advisors from the sports world to help restart the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. That list included "the great Vince McMahon" from the WWE, along with league commissioners Roger Goodell (NFL), Adam Silver (NBA), Rob Manfred (MLB) and with Gary Bettman (NHL) along with UFC president Dana White, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

McMahon and Trump have a long-standing friendship going back to the WWF billed WrestleMania IV and V taking place at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Trump was famously involved in two on-air angles in the WWE, first in the "Battle of the Billionares" at WrestleMania 23, then again in 2009 when he claimed to "buy" Monday Night Raw only to sell it back a week later. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, just a few years before his political career began.

Florida state officials announced earlier this week that WWE would be considered an "essential business," allowing them to continue to tape live events from the WWE Performance Center despite the statewide "stay at home" order.

"I think initially there was a review that was done and they were not initially deemed an essential business. With some conversation with the Governor's office regarding the Governor's order, they were deemed an essential business. Therefore they were allowed to remain open," Orange County (Florida) Mayor Jerry Demings explained in a press conference.

CNN reported on Wednesday that the decision, made by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, was driven to help keep Florida's economy afloat.

"We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times," WWE wrote in a statement defending its decision to air live episodes of television rather than pre-tape weeks of content in a short period of time. "We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance."

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