Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump and ’80s hair metal band Def Leppard were a match too good to be true.
After CNN reported last month that the GOP frontrunner would introduce the band on Saturday at the Iowa State Fair, Trump’s camp told the Des Moines Register Wednesday that such an appearance “was never in play.”
“Not sure where that report came from, but it is false,” Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told the Register.
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell posted on Facebook that he “really, really, really” hoped there was no truth to the rumor that Trump would kick off the band’s performance after the report was published. The band is scheduled to play a sold out show at the fair with special guests Styx and Tesla.
“Def Leppard have never been a political band, and if we were, I for one wouldn’t be associating my name with this clown,” Campbell wrote.
The Republican candidate still plans to make an appearance at the fair, which is one of the nation’s largest, on Saturday. A State Fair spokesperson said late last month that Trump would not be allowed to land his luxury helicopter on the Des Moines fairgrounds, but that he could “take people on rides or whatever he would like to do” off the grounds.
The Iowa State fair – famous for its massive “Butter Cow” sculpture – typically draws 1 million visitors a year, making it a mainstay meet-and-greet stop for presidential hopefuls.