Politics

EXCLUSIVE: Al Sharpton sees Trump as the white Don King

The Rev. Al Sharpton talks to the Daily News editorial board on Thursday. Sharpton said he sees striking similarities in Donald Trump and Don King.
The Rev. Al Sharpton thinks Donald Trump has run a “great” media campaign in his bid for the White House — and believes the Republican is like a white version of his pal Don King.

Sharpton, in a wide-ranging interview with the Daily News editorial board Thursday, said he’d probably get in trouble for saying it, but admitted that the similarities between the boxing promoter and the real estate tycoon are striking.

"My definition of Donald Trump is that if Don King had been born white, he'd be Donald Trump," Sharpton said.

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Asked if he thought Trump believed some of the divisive rhetoric he's spewed on the campaign trail, Sharpton said, "About as much as Don King believed in ‘Rumble for the Jungle’” — a reference to the famous 1974 fight between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman that King promoted.

Sharpton said he’s not close with Trump, despite knowing him for decades socially through hip hop mogul Russell Simmons and King.

King, one of the most famous boxing promoters in history, introduced Sharpton to Trump in the 1980s after he opened Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. At the time, Sharpton was close with boxer Mike Tyson, who King was managing.

“Imagine sitting in a room with both of them (Trump and King),” Sharpton said. “That’s how I got to know Donald Trump!”

AL SHARPTON SAYS SOME CRITICISM OF DE BLASIO IS RELATED TO HIS MIXED RACE FAMILY

Sharpton said he still stands by his earlier assessment of Trump that the candidate is behaving like he’s playing the lounge instead of the main act, a riff of some advice that his late mentor James Brown gave him years before.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sharpton told The Washington Post that Brown told him, “There’s a difference between the lounge act and the acts that play the main room.”

The difference, according to the hardest working man in showbiz, was the lounge act would try anything for attention, but the performer with top billing needed “polish.”

“When you get on the main stage, Reverend, whatever you did to get out the lounge don’t do that on the main stage,” Brown said, according to Sharpton.

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump
Despite that, Sharpton — who ran for president in 2004 — thinks Trump has done a good job getting attention.

“He has dominated the media, but the Iowa caucus is about organization,” he said.

The Rev. Al Sharpton with Donald Trump and Don King back in 2005.
Sharpton, who has not endorsed anyone in the presidential race, does not think any Republican can capture the black vote. He cautioned that Democrats should not take it for granted — including Hillary Clinton.

Sharpton said he is hearing from black “prime” voters that the candidates aren’t talking about issues they care about most, like the battle for voting rights. He said there is some lingering resentment over the 2008 race when the Clintons feuded with then-candidate Barack Obama. He said young black voters have little recollection of anything other than a black family in the White House.

“Imagine their culture shock (when there’s a white president again),” he said.

TAGS: al sharpton , don king , 2016 election , daily news exclusives , donald trump

EXCLUSIVE: Al Sharpton sees Trump as the white Don King - NY Daily News http://m.nydailynews.com/news/politics/rev-al-sharpton-sees-donald-trump-white-don-king-article-1.2489480/

Related:
Sharpton: Some de Blasio backlash stems from race of family - NY Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/sharpton-de-blasio-backlash-stems-race-family-article-1.2486577/

Guess who Is NOT coming dinner..
Or sleeping at the White House.. ever again?

Sharpie The Race-Hustler?

sleep with Trump? without a payday?

no thanks,,,

an example of knowing it when he sees it then?

Yep..on both links he is.
I figure he knows he is out of The Lincoln Bedroom ( yea..he does sleep there.... Weird. ) soon, so he might as well start some sh@t. Well wait until Trump starts blabbing now about all his criminal history & how he is an online preacher, his tax evasion, etc..

Sorry doll... He has a specific type & an accent preferences.

thank goodness doll,,

never hurts when arrogant, simplistic, windbags have some other 'type'

The coming melt will be EPIC!

oh, if there is a Trump presidency, I have no doubt it will

and all those getting good laughs now, will finally wake up and ask what they've done,,,

I know those used to Obama think the president is king....but it doesnt work that way.

And it seems the melt has already started....those same people are $hitting their pants as I type this...

the president isn't king, but Trump believes he should be, if he receives the power of executive orders and vetos at his discretion

he will abuse them to prove he should be,,,

Here ya go....

thanx, I will need it to clean my way through all the CRAP he peddles,,,

You need it now....same some for election day.....and remember...front to back....dont want an infection...Obamacare just might not be around then

no, that should be reserved for republican presidential candidates,,,

Ahhh so its not just Trump that has your ire...not surprised....and thanks for the flattery by way of imitation.....You dont know what I mean? Figure it out...you claim to be smart

well, Trump is the current front runner for republican as president..... is he not?

hmm, now how does Sharpton tie into a driver for Hilary Clinton?