Boxing promoter and convicted killer Don King used the N-word – n***er – while introducing Donald Trump in a Cleveland, Ohio church on Wednesday.

Trump sat behind King, grinning throughout King's glowing remarks about him, but showed no reaction to the shocking moment.

King recalled talking to the late pop star Michael Jackson about the pain of being perpetually discriminated against as a black man in America.

'If you're poor, you're a poor negro,' King said he told Jackson, adding that 'I would use the N-word.'

'But if you're rich, you are a rich negro. If you are intelligent, intellectual, you're an intellectual negro. If you're a dancing and sliding and gliding n***er – I mean negro – you are dancing and sliding a gliding negro. ... You know, you're gonna be a negro til you die.'

Boxing promoter Don King spoke at the Midwest Vision and Values Pastors and Leadership Conference at the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, dropping the 'N-word' into his introduction of Donald Trump

Boxing promoter and convicted killer Don King (left) accompanied Donald Trump (right) to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, today

King flew to Cleveland with Donald Trump as the GOP nominee continued his outreach to African-American voters.

'The system is the problem, and he's the only gladiator that would take on the system, like a David and a Goliath,' King said at the New Spirit Revival Center, 'to be able to throw this system out and create a new system where it encompasses all women, people of color, blacks, and all freedom-loving people coming together to support themselves, under the leadership of the dynamic ... Donald Trump.'

'This is what we want and this is what America needs. America needs Donald Trump. We need Donald Trump – especially black people.'

Trump's counsel, Michael Cohen, tweeted a picture of himself with King, confirming that the boxing promoter was on board Trump Force One.

Cohen delivered his own passionate stemwinder, beginning the program by blasting journalists who have framed Trump as a racist.

'I've lost count as to how many times the disgusting liberal mainstream media have attempted to label Mr. Donald Trump a racist, a xenophobe and a bigot. And let's not forget sexist, misogynist, narcissist, Islamophobe, anti-Hispanic, antisemite, demagogue, and countless others. It's disgraceful,' Cohen said.

'Not only is Donald Trump not a racist, he believes that all people are part of one race: the human race.'

Cohen called Trump, his boss for a decade, 'a great unifier.'

King and Trump embraced at the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio on Wednesday, as Trump Organization general counsel Michael Cohen (right) applauded

'He's a man of great intellect, great intuition and great abilities ... he's not doing this for the money, the fame and the power. Donald Trump has all of that without running for office.'

Trump spoke after King, largely cribbing from a speech he made three weeks ago in Detroit about the value of black churches in the U.S.

He also repeated his claim that in some cases, black urban centers in the U.S. are more dangerous than Middle Eastern war zones.

'Chicago has had 3,000 shootings, I think, just since the beginning of the year,' he noted.

'The Democrats have run the inner cities for in some cases 100 years, unbroken ... I'm different. I'm different from other Republicans, frankly.'

'They come and take your vote,' he said of Democrats, 'and they say, "We'll see you in four years".'

Donald Trump's counsel Michael Cohen (left) tweeted a picture of himself with Don King (right) this morning, confirming the boxing promotion great was on board Trump Force One

Don King is one of Cleveland's most famous sons, having promoted Muhammad Ali and other boxing greats, but he also served nearly four years in prison for stomping on an employee, killing the man.

He was later pardoned by Ohio's governor. This month, the city council planned to designate a portion of Cleveland street where the incident occurred, 'Don King Way.'

King came out as a Trump supporter over the summer, though with some confusion.

Trump announced in June: 'The great boxing promoted, Don King, just endorsed me. Nice!'

King was then asked at Ali's funeral several days later by a New York Daily News reporter if he had endorsed Trump.

'No,' the promoted replied. '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.'

Later, talking to USA Today Sports, King explained that he had really endorsed Trump.

'Yes, I endorsed Donald Trump,' King said. '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 or Democrat. I'm for the American people. And the American people endorsed Trump.'

'And the American people endorsed Bernie Sanders for vice president,' the promoter added.

The legendary promoter showed up to the Republican National Convention, which was taking place in his hometown, after clarifying that he was indeed supporting Donald Trump

He said he liked Trump because the billionaire had 'brought out all the hidden back-room, under-the-table conversations.'

'If they would vet our politicians and leaders who are trying to be president like they vet Trump, they wouldn’t have none of these problems,' he continued.

'What I said is that with Trump calling all these people out, he [is showing he] can't be bought, he can't be controlled, the party can't control him, he works for the will of the people,' King said. 'They are the only ones he has an obligation to. Because, through the primaries, he was self-funded.'

'They say he's dividing and polarizing. No. It's already polarized. It's already divided. What he's doing is exposing, he's not polarizing,' King explained.

A month later, King made an appearance at the Republican National Convention, which was being held in his hometown, sporting a bedazzled, patriotic denim jacket.

At one point Trump had floated King's name for a convention speaker, but according to Green, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus had shut that down.

King was not happy about that decision.

'I don't think they want Trump to win,' King told Green, though added, 'I'm not mad.'

'You wouldn't be standing here talking to me if I was mad,' King added.

The reporter countered, saying, 'yes, I would.'