Former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson said in a recent interview that the aging process and chaotic world we live in have caused him to become more conservative.
Speaking with Newsmax TV host Greta Van Susteren on her podcast, The Record with Greta Van Susteren, Tyson said that although his rightward lean has angered some of his friends, he feels that it’s “common sense.”
“My family gets mad, my friends get mad when we talk politics,” Tyson told Van Susteren. “When I was younger, I was all-out liberal. But as I get older, and I look at my children, and I see what’s out there in the world, I get a little conservative. … It’s common sense, looking at the world we have now. You want safety.”
Mike Tyson and Lakiha Spicer attend the 22nd Annual Harold and Carole Pump Foundation Gala at The Beverly Hilton on August 19, 2022, in Beverly Hills, California. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Harold & Carole Pump Foundation )
The United States has seen a surge in violent crime since Joe Biden became president. In particular, Tyson’s native New York City has seen a spike in crime reminiscent of the former champ’s formative years in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.
But while Tyson speaks freely of his increasingly conservative views, he’s hesitant to voice support for specific conservative politicians, as became evident when Van Susteren queried him for his thoughts on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R).
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters at a campaign stop on the Keep Florida Free Tour at the Horsepower Ranch in Geneva. DeSantis faces former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for the general election for Florida Governor in November. ( Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“I can’t talk names … the last time I tried to talk politics, Wow, did they give me a beating,” Tyson explained. “I stay away from politics and religion. They stole my freedom of speech.”
Though Tyson may not want to talk about DeSantis by name, he has shown no such reservations in the past regarding his longtime friend Donald Trump. Tyson became a vociferous supporter of Trump in his campaign for the presidency in 2016.
“He’s an underdog, and no one likes the fact that he is winning,” Tyson told Good Day New York in 2016. “I know Trump. This is a good thing. Vote on Trump.”
Tyson has recently made headlines for saying that his death will be coming “soon.” However, the former champ remains in exceptional physical shape for a 56-year-old.
Hopefully, that’s not true.
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