DeSantis opened his press conference in Bradenton on Thursday with words about Hogan's death.
"Before I get into the gist of today's information, just as a Floridian, as somebody that grew up in west central Florida, I was sad to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away today. He was a major icon for anybody in Gen X."
But, as he continued talking about WrestleMania and watching Hogan on a closed-circuit TV, a man began screaming, "So, Alligator Alcatraz — is that your fucking legacy?"
"Hey, stop, stop," DeSantis responded. "Get outta here. Get outta here. Get outta here."
"You bow down to a fucking pedophile! You are a fucking pedophile! All of you are fucking Nazis! Fuck you all! Fucking Nazis," the man yelled with both his middle fingers in the air as two police officers escorted him out.
DeSantis is heckled at an event today pic.twitter.com/Qj49vMF914
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 24, 2025
DeSantis continued his remarks about the late wrestler as if nothing had happened.
"You used to have the closed circuit, so you would go and you would have that and then you just kinda watch it," the governor said. "I just remember WrestleMania Two, and he is fighting Andre the Giant. And look, I was a kid. I didn't know that it was choreographed, right? I mean, I was really worried that he was going to be able to do it, but he slammed Andre the Giant. That was a huge thing for kids in that area."
He added that his kids met Hogan, whose legal name is Terry Bollea, just a couple of months ago.
"I was really sad to see that," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and people throughout this region of Florida because I know so many people cared about him."
The 71-year-old pro wrestling legend died on Thursday after Clearwater police and firefighters responded to his home following a call about a cardiac arrest at 9:51 a.m.
"A 71-year-old resident, Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, was treated by Clearwater Fire and Rescue crews before being taken by Sunstar to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased," the Clearwater Police Department posted on Facebook.
