Well, let’s just say Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t exactly get the smooth tribute moment he planned for Hulk Hogan.
What was supposed to be a somber and nostalgic news conference in Bradenton on Thursday turned into an all-out scene when a heckler hijacked the event with a profanity-laced rant about immigration.
Here’s how it went down: DeSantis was just a few minutes into his remarks, sharing a personal story about watching Hulk Hogan’s legendary match against André the Giant at WrestleMania III, when — BAM — a man in the back of the room stood up, pointed at the governor, and started shouting: “Alligator Alcatraz — is that your f---ing legacy?”
Yeah, you heard that right. Alligator Alcatraz. The man was referencing the governor’s recently announced $245 million pledge to fund an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades — a facility critics have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The outburst caught DeSantis off guard, but he didn’t stay quiet. He immediately raised his voice, barking back, “Hey, stop, stop! Stop! Get out of here! Get outta here!” as authorities moved in and hauled the heckler out. The exchange lasted only moments, but the tension in the room was palpable.
It all happened just three minutes into the presser, derailing DeSantis as he was paying tribute to one of Florida’s most famous residents.
“I was sad to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away today. He was a major icon for anybody in Gen X,” DeSantis said earlier, recalling the days of closed-circuit wrestling events before pay-per-view even existed.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died Thursday at the age of 71 in Clearwater, Florida — the state he called home for most of his life.
So instead of a simple tribute to the late wrestling legend, DeSantis got an earful of outrage about his immigration policies in front of the cameras. It’s a reminder that, in today’s political climate, even a eulogy for Hulk Hogan can turn into a flashpoint over immigration policy.