Donald Trump speaks at the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ, convention, on July 31, 2024, in Chicago. | Source: Jason Armond / Getty
Donald Trump‘s interview Wednesday at the National Asociation of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention in Chicago was at once a collision of disrespect, racism and lies amid growing outrage among the organization’s members about the event.
Trump came into our home, a Black Press advocacy convention, and insulted us in our face. What is worse he was invited to do this by NABJ leadership. Shame!
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) July 31, 2024
Held at the Hilton Chicago hotel, the conversation with Trump was billed as one that would discuss issues that are most important to Black America.
Moderated by ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, Semafor politics reporter Kadia Goba and, controversially, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, the three Black women peppered Trump with a series of questions that, of course, were not always answered.
Keep reading to find five quick takeaways from the conversation.
Not unexpectedly, Trump was extremely disrespectful to Scott, who asked the first question about why Black voters should trust him based on his record when it comes to race. Trump quickly deflected and took the opportunity to attack Scott.
“First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” he told Scott.
Trump at the NABJ is immediately asked about his racist comments and why Black voters should trust him. He replies, “First of all, I don’t think I’ve very been asked a question in such a horrible manner.” pic.twitter.com/6ZmOo0ixCE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 31, 2024
Trump then mocked NABJ for having “bad equipment” in an allegation he blamed for the nearly hour-long delay to the interview’s start.
a very cranky Trump says he can’t hear a question from Harris Faulkner because NABJ has “bad equipment, because this woman was unable to get the right equipment.” This is a disaster. pic.twitter.com/QBkRqioovt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 31, 2024
When asked about Sonya Massey — the 36-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed in her own home by an Illinois police officer who has since been charged with murder — he claimed he was unfamiliar with the case. He was asked whether his recent statements calling for federal immunity for police officers should apply to that case, and Trump, again, offered a noncommittal response that never actually answered the question.
Trump at NABJ asked why the cop who shot Sonya Massey should have immunity. Trump says he “doesn’t know the exact case but I saw something” as the crowd gasps. pic.twitter.com/HAvkm4yTZd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 31, 2024
After mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris‘ first name on multiple occasions, Trump questioned whether she was a “DEI” hire before suggesting she only identified as a Black woman now for political purposes.
She was only of Indian heritage,” Trump said of knowing Harris from years ago. Later he added: “I didn’t know she was Black,” and said “she happened to turn Black” before asking, “Is she Indian or is she Black?”
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black.”
— Donald Trump, when asked at the NABJ convention whether he thinks Kamala Harris is on the Democratic ticket only because she is a Black woman. pic.twitter.com/EP27jmE6rw
— The Recount (@therecount) July 31, 2024
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later said that Trump’s comments about Harris’ ethnicity were “insulting.”
When asked about Trump’s comments at the NABJ convention about Kamala Harris “becoming Black” during today’s White House press briefing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laughed and said, “It’s insulting.” pic.twitter.com/izjAlhkf8B
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 31, 2024
Trump said NABJ was showing preferential treatment to Harris because she was being allowed to appear virtually at a later date instead of in person.
“I was invited here and I was told my opponent, whether it was Biden or Kamala, I was told my opponent was going to be here,” Trump said. “It turned out my opponent isn’t here. You invited me under false pretense.”
Trump starting off at NABJ on a hostile note: “I was invited here and I was told my opponent, whether it was Biden or Kamala, I was told my opponent was going to be here. It turned out my opponent isn’t here. You invited me under false pretense.” pic.twitter.com/uPk9ispFM8
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 31, 2024
NABJ partnered with the PolitiFact website for “live fact-checking” during the conversation, an endeavor that pointed out dozens of Trump’s lies in real-time.
The lies Trump told include widely debunked statements about Democrats wanting to allow undocumented immigrants to vote; claiming the U.S. has more oil — he called it “liquid gold” than “any other country;” misstating support for Roe v. Wade being overturned; fearmongering about inflation in hyperbolic terms; saying that Democrats are “allowing” for “the death of a baby after the baby is born;” misstating his work with HBCUs and associated funding; and claiming he was “the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
“I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln”: Former President Donald Trump is speaking live at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Chicago. Watch live: https://t.co/BEWYth3DD6 pic.twitter.com/tDSdvKHO0O
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) July 31, 2024
Watch the conversation below:
The room was packed
ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, Semafor politics reporter Kadia Goba and, controversially, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner
The conversation took place as demonstrators protested Trump’s NABJ appearance outside of the Hilton Chicago hotel where the event took place. The protesters decried “shame on NABJ leadership” and chanted in unison: “Say it loud, say it clear, Donald Trump ain’t welcome here!”
Trump set the stage for his NABJ conversation by weaponizing his invitation against Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting that the presumptive Democratic nominee would copy him and ultimately meet with the Black journalists’ group.
Yes. I am absolutely going to say I told you so. This was preventable, @NABJ. Look what you have wrought, @kenlemonnabj. How did you not see this coming? #NABJ #NABJ24 pic.twitter.com/dhnCNGSa08
— April (@ReignOfApril) July 31, 2024
What Trump did not address in the above social media post is the reports of how NABJ President Ken Lemon told Harris she “needed” to be in Chicago to participate in a similar discussion at the convention.
“NABJ shut down the conversation for a virtual town hall,” the Grio’s White House correspondent April Ryan posted on X, formerly Twitter, hours before Trump was set to appear at the convention. Ryan added: “NABJ’s original plan was to move on from the @VP.”
Those reports likely prompted Lemon to issue a statement insisting that NABJ is “in talks about virtual options in the future and are still working to reach an agreement.”
.@NABJ President @kenlemonnabj’s response to Presidential candidate @realDonaldTrump accepting NABJ’s invitation: pic.twitter.com/MinCqC7KyW
— NABJ Monitor (@NABJMonitor) July 30, 2024
Meanwhile, the fallout among NABJ members has been palpable, with growing outrage that the organization would platform a person, let alone a presidential candidate, who has a documented record of anti-Black behavior, rhetoric and actions — particularly against Black women.
On a more granular note, Trump has made a habit in the past out of attacking Black women journalists, some of whom are also NABJ members, like Ryan.
Washington Post opinion columnist Karen Attiah, who announced on Tuesday that she was stepping down as co-chair of the convention in Chicago, noted on social media she “was not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format.”
While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) July 30, 2024
Roland Martin, also a former winner of NABJ’s coveted Journalist of the Year Award, called out the organization for not choosing a Black male journalist to help moderate the event; what with the myriad reports suggesting Trump has made notable inroads with Black male voters.
It also can’t be ignored that NABJ decided against any Black-owned and operated media being among the moderators.
An email from NewsOne seeking comment from NABJ has not been returned.
Tia Mitchell, the Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the chair of NABJ’s Political Task Force, said she “helped make this call” of inviting Trump and defended the decision as being “in line with invitations NABJ has sent to every presidential candidate for decades.”
But Jemele Hill, NABJ’s 2018 Journalist of the Year, suggested that Trump’s appearance in Chicago could invite a reaction similar to when NABJ hosted then-Trump aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman at its convention in New Orleans in 2017.
Omarosa refuses to be held accountable for her participation in the Trump Administration’s destruction of the Black community. #NABJ17 pic.twitter.com/zry5Np6Nm9
— Renee Bracey Sherman (@RBraceySherman) August 11, 2017
That was when several activists and journalists turned their backs on Manigault-Newman as she spoke during a panel discussion moderated by journalist Ed Gordon. The panel ended when Manigault-Newman walked off the stage as then-NABJ President Sarah Glover explained why she was invited to speak.
SEE ALSO:
Social Media Calls Trump A ‘Coward’ For Trying To Dodge ABC Debate Against Kamala Harris
Donald Trump’s Racist Attacks Against Kamala Harris
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