In a typically megalomaniacal flourish, Trump claimed in an interview published on Friday in The New York Times that he’s been asked to speak every night of the RNC—but he won’t because it would make him look big-headed. “What they’ve asked me to do is to speak all three nights. I turned it down,” he said. “I don’t want people to think I’m grandstanding, which I’m not. But it would get high ratings.”
It’s hard to imagine that anyone at the RNC with the power to allow Trump to speak every night would think it would be a good idea. But setting aside the truth of his assertion, Trump should speak every night at the convention. Trump should put his money where his mouth is—it probably would be good for ratings, especially if the draw for night two is going to be Jon Voight, but there’s only one way to find out. Plus they’re having a hard time lining up speakers, so he might have to, whether he likes it or not. (He likes it.) When Politico asked 50 prominent Republicans if they would speak at the convention, most said they had no interest; in fact, many said they wouldn’t even attend the convention. And finally, Trump has promised an unconventional convention for an unconventional candidate—what’s more unconventional than three primetime speeches from that candidate?