Charles Brotman, the presidential inauguration parade announcer since 1957, has been bounced for freelance radio announcer and Trump supporter Steve Ray.
Brotman, 89, who Washington D.C. fans also remember as the voice of the old Washington Senators baseball team, announced his first inauguration parade for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, reported WJLA-TV. He told the television station that he was "heartbroken" by the snub.
"I've been doing this for 60 years," Brotman told WJLA-TV, saying that he learned that he would not announce the parade through an email. "At first … I was destroyed."
Trump's inauguration team said in a statement that Brotman will be honored at the parade, reported The Hill.
"Since 1957, millions of Americans and countless entertainers have come to recognize Charlie Brotman as the voice of the inaugural parade," said the Trump organization. "The Presidential Inaugural Committee will be proud to honor Charlie as Announcer Chairman Emeritus on Jan. 20. We are thrilled for Steve Ray to be introducing a new generation of Americans to the grand traditions of the inaugural parade."
Ray, 58, has done promotional commercials and segments for the Washington Nationals baseball team along with working for local radio stations, said the Washington Post. He was a volunteer for the Trump campaign.
"All of us think of Charlie as much of the Washington landscape as any building," Ray told the Washington Post. "I'm on top of the world. From my point of view, I am not filling his shoes, I'm not taking his place, I just happen to be the guy who's next."
Brotman expressed no ill will for Ray, telling WJLA-TV, "I want him to do good, as opposed to, boy, I hope he fouls up so they say, 'We want Charlie back.' No. I don't want that (at) all. … 'You know what? Good luck, young man. I hope you do spectacular.'"
Brotman said he hasn't decided whether to attend the inauguration because he is weighing other media offers.
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