Trump: I was asked to speak on all 3 convention nights

As organizers scramble to find Republicans willing to speak at the party’s convention later this month in Cleveland, Donald Trump said in an interview published Friday that even he rejected a request to speak on each night of the festivities.

“What they’ve asked me to do is to speak all three nights. I turned it down,” Trump told the New York Times, explaining his worry that it would make him seem egocentric. He did not say who had asked him.


“I don’t want people to think I’m grandstanding, which I’m not,” he said. “But it would get high ratings.”

Back-to-back-to-back speeches are not the only convention idea Trump claims to have shunned. He shut down plans to have him arrive in Cleveland by train, arguing that it’s been done before, and he decided against delivering his convention-closing speech at a larger, outdoor stadium over concerns that it would cost too much. He did tell the Times that he was tempted by the outdoor stadium though, because it would have afforded him the chance to arrive via helicopter. (Unveiling the convention stage earlier this week, Republican National Convention CEO Jeff Larson confirmed that Trump’s acceptance speech will happen inside Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.)

As Larson and his team focus on logistics, Trump’s campaign is still in the process of assembling the convention lineup, which is expected to be released next week, people familiar with the planning told POLITICO. Many big-name Republicans have indicated that they do not plan to attend the convention, while others, like House Speaker Paul Ryan, still do not know if they’ll have a speaking role at the event.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), one of Trump’s loudest supporters on Capitol Hill, is expected to speak, the presumptive nominee told the Times. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who endorsed Trump over rival candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during the GOP primary, is also on the real estate mogul’s wish list.

Trump said he was considering expanding the pool of sports stars invited to speak at the convention after some, like legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, turned down the opportunity. Trump said he was considering inviting tennis star Serena Williams, boxing promoter Don King and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, among others from outside the political world.

The candidate’s adult children are expected to speak, and he said his wife Melania Trump is considering delivering an address as well.

“I want it to be on message. I want it to be fun. And you have to put all of those things together,” Trump told the Times. “But the on message is really the most important thing.”

Jake Sherman contributed.