Trump under fire for saying Harris should 'get in the ring' with Mike Tyson while courting female voters

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stirred up laughs at a Pennsylvania rally by floating a rather hilarious idea: a boxing match between Vice President Kamala Harris and none other than Mike Tyson.

Trump hinted at Harris stepping into the ring with Tyson, all while surrounded by supporters holding pink “Women for Trump” signs—a scene meant to show off his appeal to women voters.

Mike Tyson versus Kamala Harris

It all started when Trump was praising Mike Tyson — a longtime buddy of his from his Atlantic City days — where he hosted some of Tyson's biggest fights. “I know Iron Mike, and he’s a great guy,” Trump said. “Mike Tyson. He’s a good man.”

He mused, “Oh, they could fight Iron Mike. I’ll tell you. Iron Mike would say this is not a good thing.” Cue laughter from the crowd. "Mike is – Mike's been through a lot, but he could fight. Let me tell you, that guy could fight. But can you imagine Mike?" Trump asked.

Then someone in the audience decided to jump in, apparently shouting a suggestion for “Tyson vs Kamala.” Trump didn’t miss a beat, repeating, “Oh, he says, put Mike in the ring with Kamala. That will be interesting.” He let the thought trail off and the crowd loved it, laughing and cheering him on.

Legacy of Mike Tyson and issue of transgender athletes in women’s sports

Mike Tyson is more than just a boxer; he’s a cultural icon from a time when boxing was the hottest ticket around — and Trump was a part of that hype in Atlantic City. “Mike’s been through a lot, but he could fight. Let me tell you, that guy could fight,” Trump told the crowd.

And he’s not exaggerating. Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champ at just 20 as he secured the WBC, WBA, and IBF world heavyweight titles. He won a whopping 44 of his 58 fights by knockout and has a list of records that made him a household name.

The aforementioned jokes were, of course, a commentary on transgender athletes in women’s sports — something Trump has been hammering on lately. He brought up Olympic fighter Imane Khelif from Algeria, who faced quite a backlash over her eligibility as a woman fighter.

“I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman. I lived a woman. I competed as a woman. There’s no doubt about that," Khelif has claimed amid conflicting reports.

Regardless, Trump used the story to double down on his criticism of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. “These two men that transitioned, you would be shocked to know that they both won Gold medals,” Trump said, adding, “It’s so unfair, it’s so ridiculous.”

Trump’s support for Tyson and importance of women voters in this election

This wasn’t the first time Trump has stood by Tyson, either. Back in 1992, when Tyson was convicted in a high-profile assault case, Trump had his back — albeit he didn’t condone what had happened.

"I’m totally opposed to obviously what happened. I’m a very strong believer in harsh punishment," Trump said at the time. "But we think it’s probably, in this particular case, a lot more good can be done by having Mike Tyson pay a substantial award both to the victim subject to court approval and creating a ward for people that were abused or raped in the state of Indiana.

It’s a complicated history, but Trump’s loyalty to Tyson has stood the test of time.

That said, women voters are going to play a major part in this election — especially in swing states like Pennsylvania, where Trump’s rally took place. And he knows it.

But recent polls suggest Kamala Harris is gaining traction with women voters, which could be a problem for Trump. Harris was reportedly 20 points ahead with women voters in a recent Des Moines Register poll.

Trump slammed by critics on social media for his comments

The jokes about putting Kamala Harris in a ring with Mike Tyson did not sit well with critics of the former president.

"Trump seems okay with putting heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson in the ring with VP Kamala Harris. Trump is a sick MFr. That's why women have to deliver tomorrow," one posted on X.

"His closing message is fantasizing about violence against women," another wrote.

"This guy just loves thinking about women getting their a*s beat," someone else chimed in.

"He wants to watch men beat up women, predator for sure," read a comment.

"Trump on point with abusing women. The day before an election. Can't make this shit up," another offered.

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