Don King accidentally drops N-word while introducing Donald Trump at Cleveland church
Don King, the controversial boxing promoter who was once convicted of manslaughter, accidentally used a racially charged word while introducing Donald Trump at a a Cleveland church on Wednesday.
King's use of the N-word came as he delivered an impassioned plea to his "black brothers and sisters" to elect Trump and send him to the White House.
"America needs Donald Trump. We need Donald Trump. Especially black people," he said.
King continued:
"They told me you got to try to emulate and imitate the white man, and then you can be successful. So we tried that. So we said, if you get some money you can do this here. I told Michael Jackson, I said if you're poor, you're a rich negro - 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----- - I mean negro, you're a dancing and sliding and gliding negro."
Trump sat behind King as he was being introduced and smiled throughout the speech.
When he took the podium, the Republican presidential nominee thanked King for the introduction.
"Don, that was so special," Trump said, before calling King "an amazing guy."
Trump has repeatedly boasted of King's endorsement on the campaign trail, especially when pressed on his message not resonating with black voters.
King was previously barred by the Republican National Committee from appearing at the GOP convention in July. RNC Chair Reince Priebus told Trump over a phone call that the party could not associate itself with King.
King had a second-degree murder charge reduced to manslaughter and was ultimate pardoned in 1983 by Ohio Gov. James A Rhodes for the 1966 conviction. He served five years and was released on parole.