NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
President Donald Trump recalled his friend and boxing legend Mike Tyson, who defended him against accusations of racism, during a Black History Month speech at the White House on Wednesday.
Trump’s claims about Tyson came as the president praised famous black athletes in American history, including Tyson, fellow boxing legends Muhamad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard and NFL legend Lawrence Taylor.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
“Mike Tyson, boy, I’ll tell you, Mike has been loyal to me. Every time they come out and say ‘Trump is a racist!’ Mike Tyson Says: ‘He’s Not Racist! He’s my friend, he’s been there since the beginning. Good times and bad,” Trump said.
“But Mike Tyson is a great guy and he was so loyal, he’s always been loyal.”
Trump and Tyson have a friendship that dates back to the 1980s, during Tyson’s prime as a boxer and Trump’s rise as a famous New York City real estate developer.
Tyson has contributed to several initiatives under the Trump administration.
Tyson stood with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who partnered with the Trump administration to fight obesity earlier in February. During the Super Bowl, Tyson spoke in a commercial about the importance of tackling America’s addiction to processed foods. In the ad,
BOOKING GREAT MIKE TYSON DISCUSSES HEALTHY TURNOVER, JUNK FOOD PAST AND TRUMP RELATIONSHIP
Last summer, Tyson previously wrote a letter to Trump urging him to federally recategorize cannabis as a less harmful drug. Tyson led a coalition that included a list of other athletes and entertainers, including Kevin Durant and Ricky Williams, pushing for the change.
It paid off in December when Trump reclassified Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, which is considered less harmful and more useful for medical research.
Trump praised other famous black American athletes at the event
About Ali: “Muhammad Ali, who was a friend of mine, I put a picture of myself and Muhammad. It was another piece of work. He taught the best, but he could fight well in the end.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
On Taylor: “Lawrence Taylor, good friend, Lawrence, the great Lawrence Taylor, the greatest defensive player probably in the history of football, is a good friend of mine. But I’m further off the tee than him. You know what you’re saying? Take the trip back, because it takes a club that far back and he hits it 200 yards. When you can do that, he’s a great guy, he’s a great guy.”
Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor (56) is shown sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Craig Erickson during their game on September 12, 1993 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. (MARK D. PHILLIPS/AFP via Getty Images)
On former NFL star Herschel Walker: “Herschel Walker talks about loyal. What a great football player. Herschel. Yes, Herschel Walker is now ambassador to the Bahamas.”
