Donald Trump Reportedly Blocked Bon Jovi's Attempt to Buy Bills in 2014

President Donald Trump may have helped torpedo rock star Jon Bon Jovi's bid to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014.

Trump was among the bidders to purchase the team from the family of Ralph Wilson. Michael Caputo, a public relations consultant who worked on Trump's political campaign, told the Associated Press (via ESPN.com) that Trump attempted to play up the fear the Bills would move if purchased by Bon Jovi's ownership group.

"Mr. Trump was convinced that the community wouldn't stand for a move," Caputo said. "So he sent me off to try to organize something with local fans to get that rolling."

Trump was instrumental in creating a fan group called 12th Man Thunder, which specifically undercut Bon Jovi's bid and "exploited already rampant speculation Bon Jovi planned to move the franchise to Canada," per the AP.

The group gave fans signs that read "Bon Jovi Free Zone" and called for a broad boycott of Bon Jovi's music.

Don Wright/Associated Press

Of course, Trump was ultimately unsuccessful in his pursuit to buy the Bills, which elicited a response from him on Twitter:

The organizing effort appeared to have been effective in at least making Bon Jovi a toxic member of his ownership group. The New York Post's Josh Kosman and Lois Weiss reported in August 2014 he had dropped out of bidding and that his former partners "believe they are in a stronger position to win the Bills auction without Bon Jovi."

Terry and Kim Pegula paid a record $1.4 billion to purchase the Bills in October 2014.