No Republican has ever won the White House without first winning Ohio’s electoral votes. That’s why Donald Trump, without the endorsement or support from Ohio Gov. John Kasich, is visiting the state nearly every other day.
Wednesday two Buckeye State natives made appearances with Trump in Toledo and Dayton.
Controversial celebrity boxing promoter Don King, a Cleveland native, shocked the crowd when he used the N-word while discussing the need for African-American entrepreneurship.
“If you’re poor, you are a poor negro, I would use the n-word,” said King while Trump chuckled behind him. “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 nigger — I mean negro — you are a dancing and sliding and gliding negro.”
King, who was pardoned by Ohio Gov. Jim Rhodes in 1983, was banned from speaking at the Republican National Convention earlier this summer.
“He’s fearless, he’s courageous and brave and bold enough to take on the system,” said King. “All things are possible with God.”
Also traveling with Trump was legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight, who was recently chosen by 
Cleveland.com as Wayne County’s “Most Famous Person.”
“There’s nobody that I’ve met in my lifetime that has a better grasp of how to correct mistakes and how to look at what’s wrong and how to correct what’s wrong and how to get it going right,” said Knight in Toledo. “And I think that is the most important thing that can be brought to the next president of the United States. And there’s nobody who has a better background in correcting things that are going wrong and getting things going in the right direction and developing those things — the best person ever has been Donald Trump.”
In May, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, a Columbus native, also offered a glowing endorsement for the billionaire reality TV host.
“I like what Donald has done,” said Nicklaus. “He’s turning America upside-down. He’s awakening the country. Is he as smooth and as politically correct as he should be? Probably not. But he’ll learn. He’s not stupid. He didn’t get where he was being dumb. I like the guy. He’s a good man.”
Recent polls in Ohio show Trump with a slight lead over Hillary Clinton. The last president to win the White House and not carry the Buckeye State was John F. Kennedy in 1960.