Donald Trump's presidential campaign is planning on a political convention packed with sports stars. 
 
 “It’s gonna be a great combination of our great politicians," said Ivanka Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's daughter, during a Wednesday radio interview, according to Buzzfeed, "but also great American businessmen and women and leaders across industry and leaders across really all the sectors, from athletes to coaches and everything in between.” 
 
 She added that the July 18-21 convention in Cleveland was "not gonna be a ho-hum lineup of the typical politicians.” 
 
 However, the campaign's efforts to secure the attendance of some of their top choices in the sports world have been rocky. 
 
 People familiar with the planning of the convention told Bloomberg Politics on Tuesday that campaign aides were lining up several retired athletes, coaches and other sports leaders to appear at the convention. On Wednesday, former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and NASCAR CEO Brian France, two of those on the list, both announced through spokespeople that they would not attend. Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, another sports legend organizers listed, said he was willing to appear but had not been asked to do so. 
 
 The list of athletes outlined by those familiar with the planning also included Bobby Knight, the former Indiana University basketball coach who Trump frequently credits for his Indiana primary victory. 
 
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 The sports stars’ specific roles at the convention have not yet been finalized, and it is unclear whether any of them will speak on stage to delegates and television cameras. Representatives of those lined up to appear did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. 
 
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 Separately, third-party groups have booked musicians to perform at venues throughout Cleveland during the July 18-21 convention: 1970s-era rock band Journey; Bret Michaels, the frontman of the 1980s-era metal band Poison; 80s hitmaker Rick Springfield: country singer Martina McBride, who rose to stardom in the 1990s; country band Rascal Flatts, who formed in Ohio in 1999; and The Band Perry, a siblings trio known for country pop songs. 
 
 After this story’s publication, Trump said at least one of the sports figures, Tyson, wasn’t asked to fill a speaking role. News of Tyson’s involvement had sparked disapproval online on the same night Trump likened the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to “rape.” 
 
 “Iron Mike Tyson was not asked to speak at the Convention though I'm sure he would do a good job if he was,” Trump tweeted. “The media makes everything up!” 
 
 On Wednesday, Jo Mignano, Tyson’s personal publicist, told Bloomberg Politics that the former boxer will not attend the convention. “He’ll be nowhere near Cleveland,” she said. 
 
 Trump has boasted in the past about his endorsement by Tyson, who has re-emerged in popular culture in recent years with roles in popular movies like “Hangover” and the publishing of a well-received memoir. 
 
 “Mike Tyson endorsed me, I love it,” Trump said in April in Indiana. “You know, all the tough guys endorse me. I like that.” 
 
 Following the Indiana rally, Trump was criticized for touting the endorsement of Tyson, who had served three years in prison after being convicted in the state for raping a beauty pageant contestant. 
 
 Tyson and France have publicly backed Trump, and Ditka has voiced strong support for the presumptive Republican nominee. 
 
 On Wednesday, Ditka told the Chicago Tribune that he was "happy to do it" but was unaware of any talks to appear at the convention. A NASCAR spokesperson speaking on behalf of France said Wednesday that he "does not plan to speak at nor attend the convention," according to Motorsports.com. 
 
 Trump has said on the campaign trail that he wants the event to be a gathering of “winners”—and not politicians, like at past conventions. “We’re going to do it a little different, if that’s OK,” he said in Virginia earlier this month. “I’m thinking about getting some of the great sports people who like me a lot.” 
 
 The cost for the musical performances will be covered by various private groups, not the Republican National Committee or the convention's host committee, said Kirsten Kukowski, convention spokeswoman. She declined to comment on program details. 
 
 The organizations hosting the concerts are Concerts for a Cause, the Creative Coalition, the Cleveland Clinic's educational foundation, law firm Jones Day’s foundation and others. A representative of The Beach Boys, one of the bands that organizers said on Tuesday would perform in Cleveland during the convention, issued a denial to Bloomberg Politics on Wednesday. 
 
 The design for the stage, with curving white staircases and a huge digital screen made up of more than 600 LED panels, was unveiled at a news conference Tuesday inside Quicken Loans Arena. ||||| Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and ex-Bears coach Mike Ditka will appear on behalf of Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, reports Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs and Kevin Cirilli. 
 
 Tyson and Ditka are expected to be joined by former Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight and NASCAR CEO Brian France, according to the report. It’s unclear if any of the four will speak at the convention, but they will be on hand to support Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee. 
 
 Trump has boasted about his many athlete endorsers throughout his campaign. In a June speech, Trump mentioned Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Dana White as some of his supporters and people who he’d like to invite to the convention. 
 
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 Brady has called Trump a friend, while Roethlisberger backed away from Trump after the speech. 
 
 The Republican National Convention will take place in Cleveland from July 18–21. 
 
 [Bloomberg] ||||| A slot at the Republican National Convention used to be a career-maker — a chance to make your name on the big stage and to catch the eye of the Republican donors and activists who make or break campaigns. 
 
 In the year of Trump: Not so much. 
 
 Story Continued Below 
 
 With the convention less than a month away, POLITICO contacted more than 50 prominent governors, senators and House members to gauge their interest in speaking. Only a few said they were open to it, and everyone else said they weren’t planning on it, didn’t want to or weren’t going to Cleveland at all — or simply didn’t respond. 
 
 “I am not attending,” said South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, who is overseeing the high-profile congressional Republican investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of the attacks on Benghazi. Gowdy, who said he was taking his family to the beach instead, hasn’t gone to conventions in the past and didn’t plan to now. 
 
 “I’m not,” said South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford, a former two-term governor. “But hope you have a good Thursday!” 
 
 “Don’t know,” said Sean Duffy, a reality-TV-star-turned-Wisconsin congressman. “I haven’t thought about it.” 
 
 Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo: "I won't be there.” 
 
 The widespread lack of interest, Republicans say, boils down to one thing: the growing consensus that it’s best to steer clear of Trump. 
 
 “Everyone has to make their own choice, but at this point, 70 percent of the American public doesn’t like Donald Trump. That’s as toxic as we’ve seen in American politics,” said Stuart Stevens, a longtime Republican strategist who helped to craft the party’s 2012 convention. “Normally, people want to speak at national conventions. It launched Barack Obama’s political career.” 
 
 Trump’s team is tight-lipped about to whom it’ll extend speaking invitations, as is the Republican National Committee. But many of the party’s most prominent pols say they’re flat-out not interested — and that Trump should look elsewhere. Their rejections range from terse to abrupt, and — in a year otherwise lacking in GOP unity — they seem to be using the same talking points. 
 
 New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte “is not attending the convention,” said a spokeswoman. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner “is not attending the convention,” his office said. A spokesman for South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham: “He announced back in May he's not attending.” For South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley: “The governor has not been asked to speak at the convention and has no plans to.” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn: “There are no plans for him to speak.” 
 
 House members often have to scrap to get national attention — and eagerly take whatever they can get. But taking the podium in Cleveland? No thanks. 
 
 New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, a rising star who helped to write the GOP platform at the 2012 convention, “will be in her district working for her constituents and not attending the convention,” said a spokesman. Oklahoma Rep. Steve Russell, a former Army lieutenant colonel who helped capture Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, “has no plans to be a speaker at the convention,” said his office. North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, who’s frequently talked about as a potential future statewide candidate, “won’t be at the convention.” Mia Love, the charismatic Utah rep seen by many as the GOP’s future, is skipping Cleveland for a trip to Israel. "I don't see any upsides to it," Love told a reporter on Friday. "I don't see how this benefits the state." 
 
 Among the pols staying mum on their convention plans? Those playing host. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman will attend the convention and host several events in Cleveland over the course of the week. But a spokesman, Kevin Smith, said “no announcements” had yet been made on whether he would speak. A spokesman for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Trump primary rival who has pointedly refused to endorse the presumptive nominee, declined to comment on whether he wants to deliver a speech. 
 
 In past conventions, up-and-coming young senators — think Obama, Barack — have used the limelight to raise their profiles. Not so with Republicans this year: Nebraska's Ben Sasse, who’s said he won’t vote for the real estate mogul, isn’t expected to be at Cleveland. Utah Sen. Mike Lee, an outspoken Trump critic who will be serving on the convention’s powerful Rules Committee, hasn’t been asked to speak, said his spokesman, Conn Carroll. Would he if asked? Said Carroll: “If I got a hypothetical question I probably wouldn’t answer it.” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who recently changed his mind and announced a reelection bid, has said it’s unlikely he’ll be asked to speak — but if he does, it won’t be on Trump’s behalf. 
 
 Even the GOP leaders in charge of maintaining the party’s congressional majorities — Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Oregon Rep. Greg Walden — wouldn’t say whether they’d take the podium. 
 
 Trump’s convention troubles represent a big turnabout from 2012, when Mitt Romney’s team had an endless list of choices. Whoever Romney wanted to speak, one ex-adviser to the former GOP nominee recalled, he got. They would end up packing the three-day schedule with boldfaced names, including Haley, Portman and Kasich. (One person who didn’t end up making it to the stage: Trump. The New York businessman had initially been slated to speak on the opening day of the convention, with Romney’s nervous aides agreeing to allow him brief remarks, according to “Double Down,” the post-2012 campaign chronicle. The appearance was scrapped, however, because inclement weather forced the cancellation of that day’s activities.) 
 
 View RNC spokesman: Trump 'speaking figuratively' about convention riots 'Well first of all I assume he’s speaking figuratively,' Sean Spicer, the RNC's chief strategist and spokesman, told CNN. 
 
 In 2008, John McCain similarly drew a number of GOP stars to his convention in St. Paul. “There was a great deal of interest,” recalled Ed Goeas, a Republican pollster who oversaw the programming for that convention. 
 
 A Trump spokesperson declined to comment on this year’s convention plans. But the billionaire, who has fashioned himself as a Beltway outsider, has hinted that he wants nonpoliticians to have major roles. During a rally this month, Trump floated the idea of having a “Winner’s Evening,” which would spotlight sports stars. 
 
 It’s also expected that Trump’s children, including daughter Ivanka and sons Eric and Donald Jr., will get prime-time spots. The three have emerged as Trump’s most vocal surrogates. 
 
 And, while many are reluctant to appear onstage in Cleveland, some aren’t. Those pols who’ve thrown their support to Trump, like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, seem like natural candidates to be convention speakers. Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, a former leader of the Navy SEAL team that would later kill Osama bin Laden, hopes to get a slot, said a spokeswoman. Zinke has endorsed Trump and recently appeared at one of his rallies. 
 
 For all the unease about Trump, some argue, a speaking slot at the party’s national convention remains a precious commodity. 
 
 “The exposure has enormous upsides for someone who performs well,” said Fred Malek, a prominent GOP fundraiser who helped to organize the 1988 convention, “and this is the Republican convention, not the Trump convention.”
– A lot of leading Republicans are planning to skip this year's Republican National Convention, but that won't be a problem for Donald Trump, insiders tell Bloomberg: He was planning to focus on sports figures instead of politicians and has already lined up a few "winners." According to Bloomberg's sources, the sportspeople include boxer and convicted rapist Mike Tyson, Chicago Bears great Mike Ditka, former Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight, and NASCAR chief Brian France, all of whom have endorsed Trump. Trump has bragged about the Tyson endorsement, though the candidate tweeted Tuesday night that Tyson "was not asked to speak at the Convention though I'm sure he would do a good job if he was." Sports Illustrated reports that Trump named Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and UFC president Dana White earlier this month as supporters that he would like to have speak at the convention, though Roethlisberger quickly announced that he won't be at the convention and has no intention of becoming involved in politics during his playing career. Bloomberg reports that musicians booked by third-party groups to appear in Cleveland during the convention include the Beach Boys, Journey, and former Poison frontman Bret Michaels.