Sylvester Stallone has praised the US president-elect at a gala event in Florida

President-elect Donald Trump is America’s “second George Washington,” action film star and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone has said. 

Stallone praised the president-elect on Thursday when he introduced him at an America First Policy Institute gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

“We’re in the presence of a really mythical character,” Stallone said. “I love mythology. And this individual does not exist on this planet. Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off, so I’m in awe.”

The actor went on to compare Trump to George Washington, a hero of the War of Independence and the first US president.

“When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was gonna change the world. Because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington,” Stallone said.

He also compared Trump to Rocky Balboa, the lead character in the Rocky film series played by Stallone. The series revolves around an underdog boxer who, against all odds, defeats his opponents in grueling fights. “This man was going to go through a metamorphosis and change lives, just like President Trump,” he said.

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Although he has spoken fondly of Trump in the past, Stallone has said that he did not vote in the 2016 election, when the real estate tycoon was first elected president. Speaking to Variety in 2019, Stallone said that he “really tried to stay out” of politics. 

Trump defeated his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, on November 5, becoming the first person elected to a nonconsecutive presidential term in more than 130 years. In July, he narrowly survived an assassination attempt when a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Among the celebrities who endorsed Trump during the campaign are actor Mel Gibson, rapper Kanye West, former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, and singer Kid Rock. Hogan appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention in July, ripping off his shirt and revealing a red tank top with the logo of the Trump reelection campaign. 

Many high-profile artists endorsed Harris, including pop stars Taylor Swift and Beyonce, as well as Stallone co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger.