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Published 15:56 IST, August 19th 2020

Donald Trump feared Vince McMahon was 'actually' killed in 2007 fake limousine explosion

US President Donald Trump feared his good friend WWE's Vince McMahon was actually killed in 2007's limousine explosion, says WWE exec Triple H.

Reported by: Sujay Chakraborty
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WWE chairman Vince McMahon arguably loves to push the boundary between scripts and realism. While the product of late is more catered towards the younger generation, WWE, formerly known as WWF, was known for its edgier content during the late 1990s and early 2000s. From bloodied superstars to wrestlers jumping from above the ramp, WWE's Attitude Era frequently bridged the gap between the reel and the real.

When WWE CEO Vince Mcmahon faked his own death; watch

Vince McMahon himself has been involved in multiple high-profile feuds and segments in the company. Once such instance is when the WWE chairman faked his own death in a limousine explosion in 2007. The segment was so authentic that US President Donald Trump, who had just feuded with McMahon in a Battle of the Billionaires storyline, thought his friend had in fact been killed in the accident. The businessman-turned-politician even called up McMahon's office and asked if "something happened to Vince.

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WWE Executive and Vince's son-in-law, Triple H addressed Donald Trump's frantic reaction during a 2008 interview on Opie and Anthony Show. Hunter briefly addressed Trump's reaction after the explosion. “Oh man, I was scared to death. If I hadn’t seen the pre-tape where he got in and out of the car, you know what I mean. What kills me is so many people called, like Trump called and was like ‘something happened to Vince,’” Triple H said during the interview. 

The segment occurred on June 11, 2007, just days before the actual death of Chris Benoit. While Vince did make an appearance in isolation to honour Benoit's WWE legacy, he persisted with the 'fake death' storyline until August of that year. He made a return to WWE television, stating he faked his own death to see who would actually mourn for him.

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Donald Trump is a known long-time friend of Vince McMahon. The US President, as mentioned above, was embroiled in a storyline with McMahon with Bobby Lashley also involved. The feud ended with Umaga (representing McMahon) losing to Lashley at WrestleMania 23. As a result, McMahon's hair was shaved bald by Trump and Lashley with the help of Steve Austin, who was the guest referee for the WrestleMania match. 

Vince McMahon's wife Linda, served under Trump's leadership as 25th Administrator of the Small Business Administration between 2017 to 2019. She was later named the Chairwoman of America First Action, a committee working towards Trump's re-election. 

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(Image Credits: WWE Official Website)

Updated 15:57 IST, August 19th 2020

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