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President Donald Trump recalled his friend and boxing legend Mike Tyson defending him against accusations of racism during a speech at the White House on Wednesday during Black History Month.
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, as well as NFL legend Lawrence Taylor.
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“Mike Tyson, boy, I’ll tell you, Mike has been loyal to me. Every time they say ‘Trump is a racist!’ Mike Tyson says: “He’s not a 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’s been so loyal, he always has been.”
Trump and Tyson have a friendship that dates back to the 1980s, when Tyson was a boxer and Trump became a famous New York City real estate developer.
Tyson contributed to multiple initiatives during the Trump administration.
Tyson stood alongside the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, partnered with the Trump administration to combat obesity earlier in February. During the Super Bowl, Tyson spoke in a commercial about the importance of combating America’s dependence on processed foods. In the ad,
BOXING GREAT MIKE TYSON DISCUSS HEALTH REVERSE, JUNK FOOD PAST AND RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP
Last summer, Tyson had already written a letter to Trump urging him to reclassify cannabis in the federal category as a less harmful substance. Tyson led a coalition that included a roster of other athletes and entertainers, including Kevin Durant and Ricky Williams, pushing for change.
It paid off in December, when Trump reclassified cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, considered less harmful and more usable for medical research.
Trump congratulated other famous Black American athletes at the event
About Ali: “Muhammad Ali, who was a friend of mine, I put a picture of me and Muhammad. It was another job. He taught the best, but ultimately he could fight well.”
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On Taylor: “Lawrence Taylor, great friend, Lawrence, the great Lawrence Taylor, the greatest defensive player probably in the history of the game, is a great friend of mine. But I’m farther off the tee than he is. You know what you’re saying? Take the trip back because it takes a club that far and he hits it 200 yards. When you can do that, you’re strong. 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 September 12, 1993 game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (MARK D. PHILLIPS/AFP via Getty Images)
On former NFL star Herschel Walker: “Herschel Walker talks about loyalty. How good a football player he was. Herschel. Yeah, Herschel Walker is now ambassador to the Bahamas.”
