Fired inauguration announcer gets new job for day

The legendary announcer for every presidential inauguration since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957 has found a new job for the day after US President-elect Donald Trump fired him.

Charles Brotman, 89, received many offers from TV stations wanting to hear his voice. In the end Brotman accepted an offer from Washington region’s NBC station, NBC4, The Washington Post reported.

“Now, I’m all young and excited again,” Brotman told the Post. “It’s a new day. Instead of talking to a few thousand people, I’m talking to a few million people.”

NBC were delighted to have Brotman on board. “Given Charlie Brotman’s long history in Washington and unparalleled experience with Inaugural parades celebrating presidents in both parties, we have invited him to be part of our Inauguration coverage on January 20,” the station spokesperson said. “Charlie will provide his unique insights that people in Washington have enjoyed for many decades.”

Brotman, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, was working as an announcer at the Washington Senators baseball team when Eisenhower heard him and offered him his initial job.

Charlie Brotman was fired as inauguration parade announcer by Trump, but now he has a new job: https://t.co/c1yOHCVXKd pic.twitter.com/mIPKbDauRw

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 13, 2017

Brotman was devastated when he found out via an email from the Trump team that after announcing 11 presidents, his time was up.

“I looked at my email, then I got the shock of my life,” Brotman told CNN. “I felt like Muhammad Ali had hit me in the stomach.”

Trump transition spokesman Boris Epshteyn told CNN in a statement that Brotman would be replaced by Steve Ray, a freelance announcer who would be “introducing a new generation of Americans to the grand traditions of the inaugural parade.”

Epshteyn said Brotman would be honored as “announcer chairman emeritus.”