AEW World Champion MJF drew a pointed contrast between the two major wrestling promotions on a recent episode of The Adam Friedland Show, defending the viral "F*** ICE" chant that broke out during his AEW Dynamite match and suggesting WWE has made a political choice he says AEW has not.
We had a 'Fuck ICE' chant," MJF said. "What's so cool about that is, in our company, our fans have a voice. And in the other company, a lot of times, when fans curse or when they say something that they don't want them to say, they just bleep it. They bleep the crowd entirely and they edit it out of the show or they'll create fake crowd noise of it so you can't hear the chants.
MJF then addressed WWE's political alignment directly:
I'll also say, they've made a choice to be a little bit more right-leaning. Triple H has done a couple of speeches in the White House. Linda McMahon is in the cabinet. We are not affiliated to any party so anybody can feel comfortable going to our shows.
The Chant That Started It All
The "F*** ICE" moment occurred on the February 5 episode of AEW Dynamite in Las Vegas, during a World Title Eliminator main event between MJF and Brody King. The crowd erupted with the anti-ICE chant just before the opening bell, with the moment going viral and drawing widespread mainstream coverage.
King had been vocal about his opposition to ICE and the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies, and had partnered with Headlocked Comics on a fundraising effort that raised nearly $59,000 for the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee prior to the show.
WWE's Political Ties
MJF's remarks are rooted in documented connections. Triple H currently serves as vice chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, while Linda McMahon holds a Cabinet position as U.S. Secretary of Education in the Trump administration.
AEW president Tony Khan has publicly stated that he supports his wrestlers expressing themselves, though the company itself has avoided officially aligning with any political party.
MJF makes his next title defense at AEW Dynasty this Sunday against Kenny Omega. He recently spoke about what keeps him in AEW, saying there is "no leash" on him creatively and that he has full freedom to be himself.
