Ryan Garcia, a pro-Trump boxer currently serving a suspension for steroid use, was suspended by the World Boxing Council after he reportedly made racist comments about Muslims, the Ku Klux Klan and George Floyd.
During a tirade on social media platform X, Garcia reportedly said, “I hate black people,” “I'm anti-black,” and even said he was a KKK member. After a voice was heard during the call saying that “the next George Floyd” should be killed with an AK-47, Garcia reportedly said, “Let George Floyd live and kill that black person again.” The comments also extended to Islamophobia, with Garcia reportedly saying, “All Muslims who rape little kids are shit.”
After the comments were widely published online, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced that the player would be expelled from the organization.
In a now-deleted post by X, Garcia appeared to backtrack a bit, writing, “I was trolling. I hope all the killing stops. I love you all. Sorry if I caused any offense,” according to the Associated Press.
Garcia has flourished as a right-wing social media influencer over the past year as his boxing career has waned. Earlier this year, the Trump campaign touted Garcia's endorsement, which to me was an indication of how much the Trump campaign relies on social media influence rather than reputable figures with institutional knowledge. The touting of Garcia's endorsement was yet another example of the Trump campaign's efforts to use martial arts figures to boost the campaign.
Garcia's ties to the Trump movement are abundantly clear, and the boxer's racist rhetoric and support for QAnon-like conspiracy theories make him virtually indistinguishable from many other MAGA influencers who support Trump.
