Sylvester Stallone calls Trump ‘the other George Washington’ at AFPI gala

Actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone introduced President-elect Donald Trump at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) gala on Thursday with a short and sweet speech in which he called Trump “the other George Washington.”

The “Rocky” actor was the final speaker of the evening — only speaking for about two minutes — before the president-elect took the stage at Mar-a-Lago.

As he started his speech, Stallone began talking about his “Rocky” character and how he “would go through a metamorphosis and change lives, just like President Trump.”

“We are in the presence of a truly mythical character. No one in the world could have pulled off what he got, so I am in awe,” he said.

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Actor Sylvester Stallone compared President-elect Trump to his “Rocky” character and said he is the “second George Washington” while introducing him at the AFPI gala at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

He went on to compare Trump to George Washington and how his dedication to America changed the world.

“When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea he was going to change the world, because without him, you could imagine what the world would be like. Guess what? We have the second George Washington. Congratulations!” Stallone said before Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” began to play.

After a short break, Trump walked onto the stage for Stallone’s introduction and shook his hand while saying a few words to the actor.

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President-elect Trump was welcomed to the podium at the AFPI gala by actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

While Stallone has been fairly quiet about his personal politics over the years, admitting to not voting in the 2016 and 2020 elections, he told Variety magazine in 2016 that he liked Trump.

“I love Donald Trump,” he said at the time. “There are certain people like Arnold (Schwarzenegger), Babe Ruth, who are larger than life. But I don’t know how that translates to running the world.”

The “Rocky” actor told Variety magazine in 2016 that he loved Donald Trump, describing him as “larger than life,” but said he wasn’t sure how that translated to “running the world.” (Ryan Emberley/Getty Images for Netflix)

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Stallone did not publicly endorse Trump during the 2024 election cycle, but he did answer a FaceTime call from Fox News’ Brett Baier in October and urged Pennsylvania voters to “keep beating.”

His speech at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday marks the first time he has publicly shared his thoughts on a Trump presidency.