Sylvester Stallone Intros Trump As ‘Mythical Character’ At Mar-a-Lago Event

Renowned Hollywood actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone introduced President-elect Donald Trump at an America First Policy Institute gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday, likening him to one of his most iconic on-screen characters, Rocky Balboa.

Drawing parallels to the underdog boxer from the Oscar-winning film Rocky, Stallone described Trump as a “mythical character.” Reflecting on the film, Stallone said, “When I did Rocky, if you remember, the first image was a picture of Jesus, and it says, ‘Resurrection A.C. Club.’ I found a church that had been converted to a boxing ring. So the image pans down from Jesus onto Rocky being hit.”

He continued, “In that moment, [Rocky] 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,” he said, according to Newsweek.

Stallone emphasized Trump’s uniqueness, saying, “We are in the presence of a really mythical character. I love mythology, and this individual does not exist on this planet. Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off. So I’m in awe.” He then added, “When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea he was going to change the world... Guess what? We got the second George Washington. Congratulations.”

WATCH:

While Stallone didn’t publicly endorse Trump during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, he has previously expressed admiration for him as a person. In a 2016 interview with Variety, he said, “I love Donald Trump. He’s a great Dickensian character. You know what I mean? There are certain people like Arnold [Schwarzenegger], Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life.”

However, Stallone has clarified his apolitical stance. He told the outlet in 2019 that he didn’t vote in the 2016 election, stating, “I didn’t like anybody,” and expressed a similar disinterest during the 2020 election, adding, “I want the best person to win, and I’m sitting back on this one.”

“Even though everyone assumes I am so hardcore right, it’s not true,” Stallone said. “I won’t go to fundraisers. I don’t do anything. I’m just an old filmmaker.”

In 2018, Stallone visited the White House alongside boxers Lennox Lewis and Deontay Wilder when President Trump issued an official pardon to legendary boxer Jack Johnson.

Following Trump’s 2024 election victory, a photo surfaced online of Stallone posing at Mar-a-Lago. The image reignited speculation about his relationship with Trump and the club. However, Stallone has consistently denied membership at Mar-a-Lago. In 2021, he posted a denial on Instagram, writing, “I would like to say to everyone that this never happened. This is just not true. It NEVER ever happened.”

His publicist at the time, Michelle Bega, also clarified, “Sylvester Stallone has never been and is not now a member of Mar-a-Lago... He was an invited dinner guest at the Club but is not himself a member there.”