Scott Baio Among Those Slated To Speak At Floundering RNC [Video]
Scott Baio, D-list celebrity and former 1980s TV star of such sitcoms as Charles in Charge and Joanie Loves Chachi, has recently announced that he will be among the speakers at the upcoming Republican National Convention. According to Baio, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump “personally asked” him to speak at the event. Scott Baio says that he was surprised by the invitation, but ultimately agreed to the engagement, reports Rolling Stone.
“I was at a fundraiser for Mr. Trump the other night with my wife and he invited me to speak at the convention, which was completely unexpected and out of left field.”
Baio made the announcement that he would be speaking at the RNC while being interviewed on Fox News on Saturday. The Republican National Convention kicks off in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 18.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0r2x2zt6Y0
Scott Baio has become something of a bizarre celebrity endorsement for former reality TV star Donald Trump, who has had trouble filling speaking slots and sponsor spots at the impending Republican National Convention. There have been multiple rumors and reports that many politicians, celebrities, and corporations are uncomfortable endorsing and/or publicly supporting Donald Trump in the wake of his controversial presidential campaign.
Scott Baio has had no such qualms, and has repeatedly come out in support of Trump. In his recent Fox News interview, Scott Baio called Trump “a man that I believe in.”
Donald Trump hand-selects actor Scott Baio to speak at the Republican National Convention: https://t.co/HoKQorqkkG pic.twitter.com/xGySb3CiXS
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) July 17, 2016
In addition to Baio, the RNC speakers line-up includes Trump’s family members (both his wife and several of his children), a handful of former GOP primary competitors, including Ben Carson (who has reportedly been offered a position in any potential Trump Administration), and Ted Cruz. While celebrity endorsements of The Donald have been relatively few and far between, 80s star Scott Baio won’t be the only one. According to multiple reports, president of the UFC, Dana White, will be speaking on Trump’s behalf.
Unlike Baio, however, Tim Tebow will not be speaking at the Cleveland event, despite earlier reports that he would be joining Scott Baio on stage in support of the presumptive Republican nominee.
Earlier in the GOP primary season, when the nomination seemed much more up in the air and the field of Republican presidential contenders was much broader, Scott Baio publicly endorsed Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, for president in the 2016 election cycle. However, in March, Scott Baio publicly flip-flopped. He withdrew his support for Walker and came out in support of Donald Trump instead.
“It’s very simple, because when [Trump] speaks I understand him. He speaks like I speak, he communicates with people very well. I want him, as any one person can do, to go into Washington and blow it up.”
Not surprisingly, when news broke of Scott Baio’s endorsement of Trump, social media platforms went a little bit wild with incredulity. After all, it’s not every election cycle that your presumptive nominee is a former reality TV star. Being endorsed by Scot Baio.
Easy to snark, but so many decisions running a convention, like do you play Scott Baio on to "Joanie Loves Chachi" or "Charles in Charge"?
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) July 18, 2016
Scott Baio is speaking at the RNC convention… Talk about jumping the shark.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) July 17, 2016
The GOP convention has gone from Clint Eastwood to Scott Baio. Anyone else see a metaphor here? #DumpTrump #Oregonstandoff
— Husker Wookee (@Chewie525) July 17, 2016
According to Baio, a large part of the reason he has chosen to support Trump is that he believes that the billionaire has a fighting chance against Hillary Clinton. Indeed, Scott Baio believes that the GOP needs a candidate willing to attack the presumptive Democratic nominee “relentlessly” in order to secure a Republican victory in November.
“‘I’m trying to be a classy guy, but to win elections nowadays, the Democrats and liberals attack viciously.”
Like Trump, Scott Baio has a history of taking his personal and political grievances to Twitter. He didn’t disappoint on Sunday when he utilized the social media platform to comment on the horrific murder of three police officers in Louisiana, the latest in a string of police-involved shootings in the United States.
Please STOP killing Police Officers! Stop it. This is NOT the country I grew up in anymore. #AllLivesMatter #Pray4Peace @realDonaldTrump
— Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) July 17, 2016
What do you think about Baio’s endorsement of Donald Trump? Does Scott Baio have the celebrity relevance and star power that Trump needs to revive his campaign and that the GOP needs to breathe life into the struggling Republican National Convention?
[Image via s_buckley/Shutterstock]
