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Don King drops racial epithet introducing Donald Trump in Ohio

Longtime boxing promoter Don King used a racial epithet while introducing Donald Trump at an event in Ohio.
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Longtime boxing promoter Don King used a racial epithet while introducing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Cleveland.

Trump chose King to discuss African-American entrepreneurship. In boxing, King is best known for his work promoting marquee fights between Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and a number of other boxing greats.

King was convicted of second-degree murder in 1966.

Trump reportedly wanted King to speak at the Republican National Convention, but national GOP officials nixed the idea.

“This is what we want, and this is what America needs,” King said. “America needs Donald Trump. We need Donald Trump, especially black people. Because you got to understand, my black brothers and sisters, 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 you said, ‘you can get some money, you can do this here.’ I told Michael Jackson, I said, 'if you're poor, you are a poor Negro—I would use the 'n word.' If you're rich, you are a rich Negro. You're intelligent, intellectual, you're an intellectual Negro. If you are a dancing and sliding and gliding n-----. I mean Negro. You are a dancing and sliding and gliding Negro."

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Video of King's comments can be viewed below. Viewer's discretion is advised due to the language.

Trump was seated behind King during his introduction.