Knox County mayor, WWE superstar Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs talks faith, politics and opportunity in the US

The mayor of Tennessee’s third most populated county has been a lot of points in his lifestyle – an athlete, an entertainer, a film star, a match present winner and a fireball-taking pictures hellspawn searching to burn his brother alive.

Glenn Jacobs, 55, is the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. In 2018, the previous WWE champion followed in the footsteps of Jesse Ventura and became the second WWE star to occupy a community office in the U.S. The WWE celebrity, recognized by his ring name “Kane,” won the race for mayor in Tennessee’s 3rd-major county. Jacobs handily defeated Democrat Linda Haney, with most of the votes counted in Knox County on Thursday, in accordance to unofficial returns.

“I normally joke that simply because of my character, you know – most politicians are seeking to persuade men and women that the politician is the person they see on Tv. I was seeking to persuade men and women I was not the human being they saw on Television set,” Jacobs instructed Fox Information Electronic in an unique job interview.

Jacob’s character, Kane, debuted as a crimson, masked and mute demon who was fifty percent-brothers with lover-favourite superstar The Undertaker. Kane shocked the wrestling globe with unprecedented pyrotechnics, a complex backstory and a dark edge not observed in yrs. The pair of on-digicam siblings turned a single of the wrestling world’s most famous and embellished tag teams – the Brothers of Destruction.

Kane, getting two top stars down for the duration of the WWE Uncooked party at Rose Garden arena in Portland, Oregon, Feb. 27, 2012.
(Chris Ryan/Corbis by means of Getty Illustrations or photos)

“As I bought more mature, I obtained far more interested in politics – I’ve generally taken a relaxed interest in politics, considering that I was in high college. I was not in university student federal government or something like that. But I always watched the information and was usually [interested] in these things,” Jacobs reported of his youthful many years.

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As he got older, Jacobs states he started asking himself thoughts like, “Why have I been blessed with a fantastic existence?” and “How is that feasible?”

“It truly is because of the possibilities that we get listed here in The us, which emerge from what our place was based mostly on, which is person liberty and free markets,” Jacobs informed Fox News Digital. “And that just actually resonated with me.”

Influenced to go after politics by libertarian figures like former presidential candidate Ron Paul and other folks, Jacobs has in the previous been explained as a libertarian. Having said that, the mayor has turn into much more carefully related with the mainstream thread of the Republican Party following the victory of previous President Donald Trump.

Jacobs says that it really is not his politics that have altered, but the GOP’s platform.

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“I think what is took place is there is been a a great deal more powerful libertarian wing of the Republican Get together appear to the forefront. I was a major supporter of Ron Paul when he ran for president in 2008, 2012,” Jacobs explained to Fox Information. “I believe it actually started there.”

He continued, “We see men and women like Rand Paul now – Thomas Massie, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz – I may not essentially agree with them all on almost everything, but nevertheless, the main strategy is the same.”

Irrespective of his libertarian qualifications, he breaks with the group on some social sights – notably his pro-everyday living placement on abortion. Jacobs is also a agency believer in the relevance of churches and community communities for uniting underserved areas.

“You actually have to understand the importance of social establishments like the loved ones and like the church,” Jacobs claims. “And, you know, if you you should not have these, federal government ends up changing them. And that’s form of what we’ve noticed taking place. So I do believe that it is essential that we have solid social institutions – the relatives, the church.”

When requested about the irony of his horrifying persona and his commitment to faith and little city values, Jacobs jokes, “That is why you would not want Kane to be the dictator – you really don’t want anyone to be.”

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“These are our area communities,” he said. “That is seriously what culture is centered on. So I feel that from time to time libertarians discount that.”

Jacobs was born on a U.S. Air Force foundation in Madrid, Spain. Following escalating up in Missouri, he went to college on a basketball scholarship right before earning the surprising soar to soccer. The large athlete had desires of the NFL, but a bum knee stored him from hoping to make the draft. A casual admirer of wrestling, Jacobs imagined it would be an appealing activity to attempt – he ended up creating the WWE Corridor of Fame in 2021.

Even as his on-display screen persona, Jacobs has demonstrated an intelligence that bucks the stereotypes of the enormous, jarhead wrestler. Kane received the WWE version of the activity present “The Weakest Connection,” securing $82,000 for St. Jude’s Kid’s Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee.

Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Shermichael Singleton communicate onstage throughout Politicon 2019 at Music Metropolis Centre on Oct. 27, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. 
(Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)

Jacobs speaks bluntly about the successes and stumbles of Knox County. The opioid epidemic has still left a deep scar in the area’s youth, and homelessness spiked due to the rampant habit. The mayor claims he attempts to be as upfront with his constituents as doable, on each the great and the poor.

Conversely, Jacobs touts the increase of tourism in his place, as perfectly as an influx of expenditure and out-of-condition transplants. He attributes this significant uptick to the state’s disregard for federal COVID-19 mandates, saying, “We did not go nearly as far as other areas did. The governor had a ‘safer-at-home’ order for a week or two, and then I imagine he lifted it, but I will not imagine any individual paid out consideration to it in any case. To his credit history, that was the [only] thing he did that I did not agree with.”

“Most of the people that I deal with in this article are superior men and women. I will not constantly agree with them, but they don’t have any nefarious intentions powering what they do. But I do believe that when you get – specially to the federal stage – there are some people today who are incredibly electric power hungry and will say or do nearly anything to stay in electric power.”

Jacobs intends to stay as significantly away from the “power hungry” federal amount as possible, stating he has no desire in a run for Congress or the Senate.

“I’m operating for re-election correct now, and that is what I’m really concentrating on. I have no desire at all in going to Washington, D.C,” he mentioned. “However, I think the federal govt is rather damaged.”

MC Punk and Struggle Kane for the duration of the WWE Smackdown at Plaza Vicente Fernandez on Feb. 14, 2010, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
(Gerardo Zavala/Jam Media/LatinContent by way of Getty Images)

Jacobs states optimistic improve and progress for rural communities needs to start out at home, and regional politics will establish to be infinitely far more relevant to citizens’ working day to day lives than the lawmakers of D.C.

Asked if he sees a cultural divide expanding concerning the still left and suitable, Jacobs believes there are fundamentally very good folks on all sides of politics, but the loudest and most aggressive are dominating the discourse.

“There is a culture war likely on,” Jacobs mentioned. “I imagine most individuals truly do not care what other folks do. They’re just exhausted of acquiring it shoved in their encounter. They are weary of getting preached at, screamed at, named racist, homophobes, bigots, and almost everything else just simply because they may not concur with some points.”

He ongoing, “I imagine what is took place is the woke persons have actually overplayed their hand. And you know, the rest of the region – who possibly makes up the vast vast majority of men and women – are truly fatigued of becoming denigrated just for expressing their views.”

Glenn Jacobs attends the 2011 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Philips Arena on April 3, 2011, in Atlanta.
(Moses Robinson/Getty Pictures)

Now, in 2022, Jacobs is functioning for re-election. He introduced his conclusion early very last year with a statement boasting his achievements by way of the pandemic and financial uncertainty.

“Four a long time back, I pledged to remain correct to my conservative values as mayor. Nobody could have envisioned a pandemic and the economic shutdown that followed, but I’m happy Knox County has been capable to weather conditions the storm devoid of a tax maximize,” Jacobs instructed neighborhood stores. 

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“By tightening our belt and making smart cuts, we well balanced our spending plan even though continuing to make ahead-pondering investments in our local community. If re-elected, the general public can count on 4 far more yrs of leadership with conservative values prime of brain,” he extra.

Fox News’ Steve Credo and Benjamin Brown contributed to this report.