RICHMOND, Va., June 11 (UPI) — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told a crowd of a few thousand supporters in Virginia on Friday he wants to change the standard formula for political party conventions and invite sports stars on stage with him instead of party leaders.
Trump has touted the endorsement of the fiery former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight. In addition, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has said he supports Trump. The candidate said he’s also received support from another NFL signal caller, Ben Roethlisberger, along with NASCAR chief executive Brian France and the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White.
Trump said a night of “winners” on stage at the convention would do more to sell his vision for America than self-serving politicians soaking up the attention.
“We’re going to do it a little different, if it’s O.K.,” Trump said. “I’m thinking about getting some of the great sports people who like me a lot.
“Our country needs to see winners. We don’t see winners anymore. We have a bunch of clowns running this country. We have people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing running our country.”
Trump spoke inside the Coliseum, a sports arena in downtown Richmond, Va. The venue holds 12,000 and CBS News estimated it to be about one-third full. Trump returned to his off-the-cuff style, eschewing a teleprompter and firing up supporters as he has at rallies across the country since the start of his campaign.
Outside was another increasingly familiar scene — clashes between Trump protesters and police. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported five individuals were detained and one charged after protests turned into shoving matches between Trump protesters, a handful of Trump supporters who responded, and police officers maintaining security outside the venue.
