HEBRON, KY—President Donald Trump invited YouTuber Jake Paul on stage during his stop in Kentucky on Wednesday, and the interaction has gone viral on social media, garnering tens of millions of views across platforms.
Trump’s interaction with Paul came toward the end of his remarks during his visit to Verst Logistics in Hebron, the second stop of the president’s trip to Ohio and Kentucky. The president mentioned Paul’s most recent fight with former Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua in December, calling Paul a “very tough cookie” and “courageous.”
“This guy has guts, and had he walked out with a broken jaw. This was not the greatest fight, but you know what it showed? Lots of courage. Come here, Jake, say a few words,” Trump said.
“What Mr. Trump has taught me is courage. You know, we never back down from a fight, even if they’re much bigger than you, much, much bigger than you. And I feel all the local Kentuckians feel the same way. You guys have that fight. You guys have that swag,” Paul said.
“There’s a lot of young kids in here, the future of America. I grew up just a few hours away from here. My dad taught me to fight, and all of our voices matter in America, and I’m never afraid to speak the truth, and I know you guys aren’t… We are here, representing the United States, and it’s just a blessing,” Paul added.
The YouTuber, who recorded a podcast episode with Trump before the president walked on stage, said that Trump would continue to bring manufacturing home to the United States, and that he “knows God is with us.”
“We need more factories like this thriving all over the country, and I know he’s going to be the one to bring that here to us,” he said. “I know God is with us. I know he wants us on the right side of history, and everyone here has to do their part, and God’s got us, Trump’s got us. God bless. Love you, Kentucky.”
The president added he believes Paul will run for political office “in the not too distant future” and said the 29-year-old has his “complete and total endorsement.”
That interaction was widely shared on social media, and a video of Paul and Trump doing the president’s trademark dance backstage, which Paul posted to Instagram, has garnered 24 million views and counting as of this writing.
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