Sylvester Stallone blasted as he calls Trump 'second George Washington' while introducing him at gala

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: The unexpected happened at the America First Policy Institute gala when Sylvester Stallone showed up to introduce Donald Trump. The two legends shook hands while Stallone hailed Trump as the “second George Washington.”

The event was held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, with big names like Matt Gaetz in attendance. Trump was headlining the evening, and there was even an announcement that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was selected as the nominee for Interior Secretary.

It was a star-studded political soiree, but Stallone’s appearance raised some eyebrows — especially considering his history of avoiding any political endorsements.

Sylvester Stallone’s high praise for Donald Trump

“I’m very, very proud to be here, I didn’t expect this,” Sylvester Stallone admitted. Then he took a moment to reference his iconic film, 'Rocky'.

“When I did Rocky, if you remember the first image was a picture of Jesus that says ‘Resurrection AC Club.’ I found a church that had been converted to a boxing ring. So the image pans out from Jesus onto Rocky being hit and at that moment he was the chosen person, and that’s how I began the journey,” Stallone recalled.

He then made a bold comparison. “Something was going to happen, this man was going to go through a metamorphosis and change lives, just like President Trump," he said. “We are in the presence of a really mythical character. I love mythology. Nobody in the world could’ve pulled off what he pulled off. So I’m in awe.”

And in a dramatic moment, Stallone proclaimed, “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 could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington. Congratulations!”

After Stallone’s speech, the two men exchanged a handshake and Trump seemed genuinely impressed. “You know Sly does not do that, he does not do that stuff, and he did a beautiful job,” he commented as he took the microphone, Variety reported.

Sylvester Stallone and Donald Trump’s history: A rocky relationship

Sylvester Stallone’s words were rather surprising, especially since he hadn’t openly endorsed Donald Trump during the election cycle this year. Back in 2016, when Trump was on his way to clinching the Republican nomination, Stallone shared his thoughts with Variety. “I love Donald Trump. He’s a great Dickensian character. You know what I mean?” he said at the time.

However, Stallone wasn’t sure how Trump’s larger-than-life persona would translate into running the country. “There are certain people like Arnold [Schwarzenegger], Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life. But I don't know how that translates to running the world," he added.

And it seems there was a bit of a rivalry between the two stars. Variety’s co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh spoke at a Mipcom panel about Trump’s alleged envy toward Stallone during interviews. While hosting NBC’s 'The Apprentice', Trump apparently felt overshadowed by Stallone as he was hosting 'The Contender' at the time.

Setoodeh claimed that Trump said, "Sylvester Stallone wasn’t as good at making TV," and that he "couldn’t remember his lines, couldn’t deliver the words to the prompter.” He added with a laugh, “What he’s still fixated on was the fact that he was a better reality star than Sylvester Stallone.”

Despite not openly backing Trump before, Stallone did make a cameo of sorts when he answered a FaceTime call from Fox News's Brett Baier in October, encouraging Pennsylvania voters to "keep punching." But his Mar-a-Lago speech was the first time he publicly offered his thoughts about a Trump presidency in such a strong way.

Stallone faces backlash for comparing Donald Trump to George Washington

However, not everyone was thrilled with Sylvester Stallone’s endorsement. It’s safe to say that his comparison of Trump to George Washington didn’t sit well with critics on social media.

"Lost all sympathy for Stallone, won’t even rewatch Rocky this Thanksgiving," one posted on X.

"Doddering Old Fool Admires Taller Doddering Old Fool," another wrote.

"Well, that just ruined Rocky for me," a third user lamented.

"George Washington would’ve hung Trump for treason after his impeachment 1, January 6th, and the classified documents crimes. So, nah, he’s not the 'Second George Washington,'" read a comment.

"This is shocking. I expected better from Sly. Was about to start watching Season 2 of Tulsa King, but screw that, no more Stallone for me anytime soon," someone else fumed.

"At least he’s not hiding it anymore," another chimed in.

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