Tim Tebow: Speaking slot at Trump convention 'a rumor'

[webfact]

Tim Tebow: Speaking slot at Trump convention 'a rumor'
By STEVE PEOPLES and JILL COLVIN

CLEVELAND (AP) — Thursday morning he was among the biggest stars featured on Donald Trump's convention lineup. Thursday night, Tim Tebow declared his attendance at next week's Republican National Convention was nothing more than "a rumor."

"I wake up this morning to find out that I'm speaking at the Republican National Convention," Tebow said in a video posted on Facebook. "It's amazing how fast rumors fly. And that's exactly what it is, a rumor."

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to questions about Tebow's departure from a convention program that the New York billionaire's team had long teased would be an extraordinary display of political entertainment. But instead of sports stars and celebrities, as promised, the campaign is relying heavily on the party's establishment for the four-day convention, which begins Monday.

The presumptive presidential nominee has approved a convention program that features at least 20 current or former elected officials, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a primary rival.

Still, there is no shortage of political outsiders.

Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder, may be the first-openly gay speaker featured at a national Republican convention. His appearance comes as party leaders refuse to soften the GOP's formal opposition to gay marriage.

Other speakers will include four of Trump's children, Las Vegas casino owner Phil Ruffin, and actor and former underwear model Antonio Sabàto Jr.

Mark Geist and John Tiegen, survivors of the deadly 2012 attack on the American diplomatic consulate in Benghazi, Libya, will speak.

"This impressive lineup of veterans, political outsiders, faith leaders and those who know Donald Trump the best — his family and longtime friends — represent a cross-section of real people facing the same challenges as every American household," said Trump spokesman Jason Miller.

Some of the GOP's biggest names are declining to participate in the convention.

Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and the party's two most recent presidential nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney, plan to skip the event, as does Ohio Gov. John Kasich, another Trump primary challenger.

Shrugging off such absences, Trump's team suggested the convention lineup would help highlight Trump's outsider appeal.

"We are totally overbooked. We have great speakers, we have winners, we have people that aren't only political people," Trump told Fox News Channel on Tuesday. "We have a lot of people that are just champions and winners."

He acknowledged in recent days that he'd stick a little closer to tradition.

"Look, I have great respect for the institution of the conventions. I mean to me, it's very important. So we're not going to change the wheel," he said on Fox.

Brady was initially floated as a possible speaker, but he won't appear. Neither will former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight or boxing promoter Don King, a Cleveland resident and passionate Trump supporter.

The program will feature people such pro golfer Natalie Gulbis, retired astronaut Eileen Collins, and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White. Former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, author of the book, "Lone Survivor," about a 2005 firefight in Afghanistan, will make an appearance, along with a Wisconsin sheriff, David Clarke, who is a vocal critic of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The convention will highlight religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell Jr. and Haskel Lookstein, the New York rabbi who converted Trump's daughter Ivanka to Judaism.

Trump does not forget his business relationships, giving speaking slots to real estate investor Tom Barrack and even the general manager for Virginia's Trump Winery, Kerry Woolard.

In a nod toward party unity, Trump will feature several former presidential competitors, including Cruz, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ben Carson and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Two finalists in Trump's search for a running mate made the list as well: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich. The other finalist, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, was not included in the program obtained by the AP.

___

Colvin reported from Washington.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-15

[NickJ]

Sore losers won't attend.....Lot's of them know there snouts could get removed.

GDub....well, he would have declined. Needs to. His war mongering for profit is slowly being revealed, and aknowledged.

Its time an Outsider works the system. My only hope is this outsider is the real deal...

[NickJ]

Walk ....softly and carry a Big, very big stick needs to be re-invented........

[Jingthing]

Peter Thiel -- comment in the comment section: QUISLING!

Gay PayPal cofounder and Facebook board member Peter Thiel is one of the nation's 300 wealthiest people. He's also an ardent Donald Trump supporter, so much so that he's speaking at next week's Republican National Convention.

Though the convention's platform is described as the most anti-LGBT in Republican history — with calls for a reversal of marriage equality, restricted bathroom access for trans people, and legalized "conversion" therapy and religious-based discrimination — Thiel was happy to take part in the convention.
...
Thiel will be joined at the convention by a calvalcade of anti-LGBT speakers, including Jerry Falwell Jr., Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, and Florida attorney general Pam Bondi.

http://www.advocate.com/election/2016/7/14/gay-tech-exec-peter-thiel-speak-rnc-along-cruz-falwell

Edited July 15, 2016 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Sore losers won't attend.....Lot's of them know there snouts could get removed.

GDub....well, he would have declined. Needs to. His war mongering for profit is slowly being revealed, and aknowledged.

Its time an Outsider works the system. My only hope is this outsider is the real deal...

His VP is Pence. That should answer your question. There is very little that is "real" about donald trump.

[Andaman Al]

So we have some Trump employees, lots of family, an underwear model and the loser politicians who hated him who are now lacking in such moral integrity they are all hoping for a well paid job in his administration. Hmmm! Not forgetting Ivanka's Rabbi, that stalwart of religious credibility - who converted her to Judaism, just another event showing that Trump will do anything required.

Israel’s supreme rabbinical court rejected Wednesday a conversion by a prominent American rabbi who sponsored Ivanka Trump’s conversion to Judaism, reaffirming a widely criticized ruling by a lower court.

Read more: http://forward.com/sisterhood/344998/israels-top-rabbinical-court-upholds-rejection-of-rabbi-who-sponsored-ivank/#ixzz4ESmAra5q

He has chosen people that 'represent' American society! Really!! How about having a representative of all the 500 or so small businesses that have been sent in to ruination and bankruptcy because at the end of a project Trump chooses not to pay them.

Republicans complain about HRC being a crook and a liar, which she may be, but she is not even in undergraduate class compared to Trump, but as long as Republicans win it is ok to ignore that. The sadomasochist hidden inside me wants to see Trump win so I can laugh my ass off at what happens when he is in office, but the reality is, it will be very bad for my children and theirs.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Andaman Al

[pitrevie]

Perhaps they could get someone to talk to a chair again that went down well the last time.

[Jingthing]

Perhaps they could get someone to talk to a chair again that went down well the last time.

Don't knock the chair. That chair had much more charisma than their nominee last time!

[Thaidream]

Trump's pick for Vice President shows he knows nothing about how the political system works. No one knows who Pence is and most people don't care. As long as Trump keeps up his loud mouth character assassination and plays to American racism- his chances of become President are nil. He has no plan for anything and his knowledge of World events and history are next to nothing.

[Credo]

He has to have a a relative nobody for VP. It's the Trump Show and there is only room for one star. The same with those that speak at the convention. They can't out show him and if they did, the censors would be busy.

[elgordo38]

Filled with Trumpisms totally, winners, great Quote We are totally overbooked. We have great speakers, we have winners, we have people that aren't only political people," Trump told Fox News Channel on Tuesday. "We have a lot of people that are just champions and winners." I am sure by election time voters will have their fill of Totally Great Winners.