Tim Tebow won't be speaking at the GOP convention
On the heels of media reports that star quarterback Tim Tebow would be addressing the Republican party's national convention in Cleveland next week, the Denver Broncos player sought to clarify: He absolutely will not be speaking.
"Just got back from the Philippines and I wake up this morning to find out that I'm speaking at the Republican National Convention," Tebow said in a video posted to Facebook Thursday. "It's amazing how fast rumors fly. And that's exactly what it is, a rumor."
Tebow continued: "My goal has always been to be able to make a difference in the biggest way possible. And if one day that's a political realm than that's what I'll do. But right now, I really believe that that's through my foundation and our raising partners and fighting for kids that can't fight for themselves."
Trump initially planned for a star-studded speaker line-up at the convention, but the list released Thursday contained fewer Hollywood A-listers than they did D.C. politicos.
In a Fox News interview Friday morning, Trump's campaign chair, Paul Manafort, addressed the reports that Tebow had been scheduled to speak in Cleveland:
"We have been active in suggesting people that we thought would speak and framing a strategy for the convention, but Tim Tebow was never on our list of people that should have been announced yesterday that had accepted and were going to be speaking," Manafort said.
But reporter Maggie Haberman of the New York Times -- one of the outlets that reported Tebow's supposed appearance -- suggested that the campaign had provided "misinformation" to reporters and that's why Tebow's name had leaked:
Campaign sources had also confirmed to CBS News that Tebow would be a featured speaker.