Who are Hells Angels? Trump says notorious motorcycle group voted for him; ‘they protected me’

Trump claimed at a White House briefing that Hells Angels bikers voted for him and said he liked them, adding they had protected him on several occasions.

President Donald Trump said at the White House press briefing on Tuesday that the notorious bikers' group, Hells Angels, voted for him. He said that he liked the group, adding that on several occasions "they protected" him.

Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, on the one-year mark into his second term in office. (REUTERS)

Trump was speaking on the ongoing federal immigration raids in several Minnesota cities. As he displayed mugshots of people arrested during the ICE raids in Minnesota, he compared them to the Hells Angels, saying they would make the notorious outlaw bikers' group “look like the sweetest people on Earth.”

However, the president the quickly corrected course, revealing his ties to the Hells Angels, noting that they even provided security for Trump on occasion. Though, the details of the occasion were not clear from Trump's speech.

“The Hells Angels are now considered a nice high-quality person,” Trump said. "I like the Hells Angels they voted for me. They protected me actually believe it or not."

Who Are The Hells Angels?

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in 1948 in Fontana, California. It has hundreds of chapters across North America, Europe, and other regions, and is known for its distinctive “death head” logo and strict membership rules.

Law enforcement agencies in several countries classify some Hells Angels chapters as organized crime groups, linking them to drug trafficking, extortion, and violent crimes. The club denies being a criminal organization and says members share a passion for motorcycles and brotherhood.

What Are Trump's Links To Hells Angels

This was the first time Trump openly spoke about his connections with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. As the Associated Press reported, it was previously not known that the Hells Angels provided security to Trump at least on one occasion.

Notably, the HAMC provided security at a 1969 concert in Altamont, California, where violence broke out, resulting in several deaths.

However, Trump was joined by Chuck Zito, a former leader of the HAMC, in 2025 at a Manhattan courthouse. Trump has also previously spoken about his love for motorcycles, though the links with HMCA had been unclear.

Notably, the HMCA did not openly endorse Trump in the 2024 US election.