Donald Trump loves celebrity endorsements, but one particular selection he made for the Republican convention was so egregious that GOP bigwigs who have obsequiously sucked up to Trump, indulging his every whim finally said, “No.” Just who was this person who would force GOP officials to find a rare ounce of testosterone?
Boxing promoter Don King.
Despite Trump insisting over and over that he wanted King to speak at the RNC, GOP officials, even including notoriously sycophantic Reince Priebus, pointed out to Trump that King’s resume might give off a bad impression for one simple reason: he was convicted of manslaughter and imprisoned in 1967 for beating a man to death.
Trump’s relationship with King spans decades, but with both men’s tendencies toward bluster, it hasn’t been consistent. In June, Trump tweeted:
But at the funeral for Muhammad Ali only hours later, King told The New York Daily News, “No, I’m endorsing the people. I’m not a Republican or a Democrat, I’m a Republicrat, and I go with the will of the people. The only reason Trump exists is because of the will of the people.”
Trump ignored King, tweeting the next day:
Trump tripled down at a rally in Tampa, blustering, “I get a call yesterday, as an example — street-smart guy, smart guy, but very street smart — Don King, the boxing promoter. And Don King said, ‘Donald, I am endorsing you for president.’ You think Don King is going to endorse a racist?”
Convicted of manslaughter and imprisoned in 1967 for beating a man to death.
Why the GOP establishment said “No” to Donald Trump about Don King speaking at RNC
On June 11, King decided he really had endorsed Trump, telling USA TODAY Sports, “Yes, I endorsed Donald Trump. The guy (from the New York Daily News) said I didn’t because when he asked, ‘Did you endorse Donald Trump today?’ and I said, ‘I endorsed the American people.’ I said, ‘I’m a Republicrat. I’m neither Republican nor Democrat. I’m for the American people. And the American people endorsed Trump. And the American people endorsed Bernie Sanders for vice president.” He added, “We are going to tear this system apart and create a whole new system.”
Despite Trump losing a celebrity like King to endorse him, his roster at the RNC still includes some of the biggest stars in the firmament, including actors from “The Young and the Restless,” “General Hospital” and “Charles in Charge.”