Wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley appeared on the Ariel Helwani Show earlier today where one of the topics he discussed was his decision to distance himself from WWE and ultimately sign with AEW.
Foley has been highly critical of WWE's closeness to the Trump administration and decided this year that he would not be renewing his Legends contract when it came up for expiration this spring. Foley's biggest problem was Trump's comments about the death of director Rob Reiner and WWE's ongoing "close relationship" with the President.
“I just think WWE had a very cozy relationship where there was definitely the illusion of a relationship there, the perception, rather. I think when five different people are posing in the Oval Office and they’ve all received Stone Cold Stunners, that’s a little cozy. And I felt like even though I wasn’t technically employed by the company, but because I had a Legends deal, because my name’s been associated with WWE for over 30 years, that I was complicit in my silence."
"And so I did speak up. I reached out to the head of talent relations, who I consider a friend, who I still write handwritten letters from Santa to every year. Basically, I give up the Legends deal. It runs out at the end of this month. I realized that by giving up two really easy, very high paying jobs at WrestleMania week for WWE that I had to work 24 hours on my own to make what I could’ve in six, and I’m okay with that."
"I’m good with my decision. Everyone I think has to make a decision that’s right for them. And in my case, I just didn’t want to be in a position where my grandchildren are asking what their grandfather was doing when things were really, you know, tough. And I want my children to be able to say, ‘This is what grandpa did.’ So I made the move that I thought was right for me. I love that company. I’m not going to disparage them, but it didn’t seem like a good fit. Didn’t seem like a fit that would allow me to look at myself in the mirror before I went to bed."
Foley later added that the Talent Relations head did say that he respected Foley's decision and would relay his message to the higher-ups. And while Foley never heard back from Paul Levesque, one high-ranking official tried to clarify WWE's position by saying that Levesque is only a member of Trump's fitness council and that Linda McMahon, while in Trump's cabinet, is no longer associated with WWE in any way. Foley did not fully agree with that officials' opinion and it pretty much cemented his decision to leave.
Despite his ideals seemingly clashing with WWE's, Foley did not close the book on returning to WWE at some point, hinting that he would be open to it if Trump ever left office.
Mick Foley opens up about his decision to distance himself from WWE due to their association with President Trump:
"I felt that because I had a Legends deal, and because my name's been associated with WWE for over 30 years, that I was complicit in my silence.
I realized that by… pic.twitter.com/8tYRwon79s— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 2, 2026
