Actor Sylvester Stallone called President-elect Donald Trump "the second George Washington" during an event Thursday night at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Stallone stepped to the podium to introduce Trump at the America First Policy Institute gala.
"We are in the presence of a really mythical character. I love mythology, and this individual does not exist on this planet," Stallone said. "Nobody in the world could've pulled off what he pulled off. So, I'm in awe.
"I'll just say this, and I mean it, when George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was going to change the world because without him, you can imagine what the world would look like. Guess what we got the second George Washington. Congratulations! … Please welcome the president of the United States, Donald Trump."
Stallone's praise came little more than a week after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the election to join Grover Cleveland as the only presidents to win a non-consecutive second term.
Stallone began his remarks by comparing Trump to the 78-year-old actor's most famous role.
"When I did 'Rocky,' if you remember the first image was a picture of Jesus that says Resurrection AC club," Stallone said. "I found a church that had been converted to a boxing ring.
"So, the image pans down from Jesus onto Rocky being hit and at that moment, he 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."
After Trump reached the stage, he and Stallone shared a warm and long-held handshake.
"Well, thank you, Sly," Trump said as he began addressing the crowd. "You know, Sly does not do that. He doesn't do that stuff and he did a beautiful job. And I want to thank you and [actor] John Voight for being here. John, the great fight movies. I think Sly has a lot of them. John has 'The Champ.' What a movie that was, right?"
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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