In a campaign that has defied just about all conventional wisdom about American politics, Donald Trump’s Republican National Convention promises to be a mold breaker as well. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said many times that his list of speakers will be a bit different from previous convention lineups — leaning more towards celebrities and friends of the nominee than the politicians that normally take the stage.
Trump has even suggested there could be a “Winner’s Night,” where all of the people who endorsed him could be feted for picking the right candidate.
With that in mind, here is a rundown of who has been suggested as an RNC speaker and whether they might actually show up in Cleveland.
Mike Tyson
Tyson and Trump have had a relationship since the 1980s, and a recent Bloomberg article suggested that the former heavyweight champion could speak in Cleveland. Trump said on Twitter that wasn’t the case.
Iron Mike Tyson was not asked to speak at the Convention though I'm sure he would do a good job if he was. The media makes everything up!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2016
Mike Ditka
The former coach of the Chicago Bears is a longtime Republican Party member and expressed his support for Trump during the primaries. Trump staffers told Bloomberg that Ditka has been invited to appear.
Bobby Knight
Knight, the famous coach of the Indiana Hoosiers who was fired for physical incidents with students, gave a rousing speech supporting Trump during the Indiana Primary — the last contest Ted Cruz challenged Trump before dropping out. Bloomberg says he has been invited to speak.
Brian France
The NASCAR CEO endorsed Trump during the primaries and could very well be speaking at the convention.
Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has golfed with Trump in the past. He has said that he won’t be endorsing Trump or appearing at the convention.
Tom Brady
Four-time Super Bowl Champ Brady has been seen with one of Trump’s famous “Make American Great Again” hats in his locker. And Trump has implied he’d like to see the New England Patriot’s legend at the convention. But there has been no confirmation.
Dana White
White is the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts organization. He said he is endorsing Trump, and the candidate has said he’d think about having him at the convention.
