A video has gone viral in which Donald Trump is seemingly praising Sylvester Stallone for distancing himself from “woke” culture . However, that would appear to be a misdirection because the person Donald Trump is actually praising is former Marvel executive Isaac Perlmutter. A community note states: “President-elect Trump isn’t talking about Sylvester Stallone. He’s talking about Isaac Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment at Disney, standing to Stallone’s left.Perlmutter was a major shareholder at Disney, who was fired in 2023.”
The Perlmutter-Disney backstory
The intended reference was to Isaac Perlmutter, Marvel’s former chairman, who was dismissed by Disney in 2023. Perlmutter had clashed with Disney CEO Bob Iger over the company’s business strategies. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Perlmutter stated, “I have no doubt that my termination was based on fundamental differences in business between my thinking and Disney leadership, because I care about return on investment.”
Perlmutter, known for his frugal management style, was critical of Disney’s creative and financial decisions. His departure marked the end of his two-decade-long influence over Marvel’s operations.
Stallone and Disney: A misplaced praise
While Trump appeared to conflate the two figures, Stallone remains unaffiliated with Disney or its corporate disputes. Known primarily for his roles in iconic films like Rocky and Rambo, Stallone has not publicly commented on Disney’s cultural direction. Trump’s remarks, though incorrect, underscore his ongoing critique of Disney, a frequent target in his campaign against “woke culture.” Trump’s fans however have often gone out of their way to project Donald Trump as Rocky Balboa, the iconic character played by Stallone.
