One of the strangest storylines in WWE history saw Vince McMahon hand control of WWE Raw to the future President of the United States, Donald Trump.
In June 2009, WWE shocked viewers when Donald Trump was announced as the new owner of Raw. The storyline played out on WWE television as though the sale was legitimate, leading some fans and media outlets to question whether Vince McMahon had genuinely sold the company’s flagship programme.
The angle was ultimately revealed to be a work, with WWE never actually transferring ownership of Raw. Instead, the storyline was designed to generate mainstream attention and create interest in the weekly programme.
At the time, Trump was already a familiar figure to WWE audiences. He had hosted WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania V at Trump Plaza and played a major role in the Battle of the Billionaires storyline leading into WrestleMania 23.
That rivalry culminated with Bobby Lashley, representing Trump, defeating Umaga, who was backed by McMahon. The result led to one of WrestleMania’s most memorable moments as Trump, Lashley, and special guest referee “Stone Cold” Steve Austin shaved McMahon’s head in the middle of the ring.
Donald Trump Buying WWE Raw Was Intended To Create Further Buzz Around His & Vince McMahon’s Ongoing Storyline
The Raw ownership storyline was intended to continue WWE’s tradition of power-struggle angles while also generating additional buzz around the programme. A key part of the storyline saw Trump announce a commercial-free edition of Raw, a move designed to attract viewers and generate publicity outside the wrestling industry.
Despite the initial attention, the storyline lasted only one week.
On the June 15, 2009, episode of WWE Raw, Donald Trump was presented as the new owner of the show. Seven days later, he sold the programme back to McMahon, ending the angle almost as quickly as it had begun.
Within the storyline, Trump was said to have doubled his money on the transaction before returning control to WWE’s chairman. As the angle approaches its 17th anniversary, it remains one of the most unusual and memorable storylines of the late 2000s.
