Trump at NABJ: ‘You deceived me’
During his visit to the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention in Chicago, former President Trump claims that Vice President Kamala Harris only highlights one aspect of her heritage while responding to a DEI inquiry.
Yesterday was a challenging day not only for Donald Trump but also for the National Association of Black Journalists.
My perspective is that the organization, despite having “journalists” in its title, didn’t handle the situation well.
It also wasn’t Trump’s greatest moment.
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However, I don’t subscribe to the narrative that Trump’s attendance was merely a tactic to rally his MAGA supporters by sparking conflict with Black individuals.
It’s worth noting that during Joe Biden’s campaign, Trump garnered Black support in polls at unprecedented levels for a Republican, a dynamic that has since shifted with Kamala Harris’s rise.
From my point of view, Trump approached the event knowing he might face tough questions, yet hoping to earn some recognition for his initiatives like financial support for historically Black colleges and universities.
Trump’s attendance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention created a tense atmosphere for both him and the organization. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
However, among NABJ members, there was notable discomfort regarding the choice to question a former president who is leading the Republican ticket.
A co-chair of the group resigned, in part due to the invitation extended to Trump.
April Ryan, who has often clashed with Trump and is presently a White House correspondent for The Grio, tweeted that the invite “disgraces the organization’s values and undermines the Black women journalists (NABJ journalists of the year) who have been safeguarding themselves from hostility from this Republican nominee promoting an authoritarian agenda that could harm our nation.”
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No bias detected there, right?
This is how the panel, which featured Fox’s Harris Faulkner, kicked off.
ABC’s Rachel Scott didn’t pose her inquiry as much as offer a comprehensive critique.
Trump’s interaction with Rachel Scott from ABC resembled more of a dressing-down than a typical Q&A. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“You have propagated falsehoods about numerous opponents,” she stated. “From Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama, falsely suggesting they weren’t born in the United States. You’ve instructed former Congresswomen of color, who are U.S. citizens, to go back to their origin. You’ve used terms like animal and rabbit to refer to Black district attorneys. You’ve targeted Black journalists, labeling them as losers and asserting their inquiries are, quote, stupid and racist. You dined with a white supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago property. So my question to you, Sir, as you seek support from Black voters, why should they have any trust in you after such language?”
Trump replied: “Well firstly, I don’t think I’ve ever been posed a question in such a rude fashion. First question. You didn’t even say ‘hello, how are you?’ Do you represent ABC? Because I believe they’re a fake news outlet, a terrible network. And I find it disgraceful that I came here with good intentions. I have great affection for the Black community in this nation.”
He also mentioned feeling misled about the invitation, asserting he was told he needed to attend in person. However, after initially denying a virtual attendance from Harris, the organization reversed its decision.
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Trump’s most notable blunder occurred following another question from Rachel Scott.
“Do you believe,” she inquired, “that Vice President Kamala Harris is solely on the ticket due to her being a Black woman?”
Trump responded: “Throughout her career, she primarily highlighted her Indian heritage; I was unaware she identified as Black until a few years ago when she transitioned to that identity. So I’m uncertain whether she is Indian or Black.”
Scott interjected: “She has consistently identified as Black. Furthermore, she attended a historically Black college.”
“I respect either identity,” Trump replied, “but it seems she doesn’t because she marketed herself as Indian for a long time before suddenly identifying as Black.”
Challenging the racial identity of a Black woman who graduated from Howard University won’t likely endear him to that community.
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Nevertheless, it was a troubling experience for NABJ as well.
While scrolling through X the other day – yes, it’s part of my job – I quickly stumbled upon several past contentious remarks made by Harris.
“THE ROOT: ‘Should Black individuals receive reparations?’ KAMALA HARRIS: ‘There must be some form of reparations.’”
“Kamala Harris declared mandatory gun confiscation as ‘an excellent idea’—then stated she would implement it via executive action within her ‘first 100 days.’”
“Kamala Harris previously pledged to keep transgender individuals out of prison if she were president.”
“Here’s Kamala boasting about her efforts ensuring ‘every transgender inmate in the prison system’ has access to taxpayer-funded gender reassignment procedures.”
These statements were initially shared by the RNC, Trump’s campaign, or conservative organizations – but have received surprisingly little media scrutiny.
Unlike Vice President Harris, Trump has at least shown a willingness to engage with the press. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Now, you might find it surprising that I believe most voters are not particularly concerned about inconsistencies. After all, Donald Trump was once a Democrat. He was previously pro-choice and even donated to Harris during her tenure as a California official.
Most Americans are focused on future actions rather than past statements made years ago.
While mainstream media tends to overlook these shifts, context is significant.
When I interviewed Donald Trump, I asked about his prior attempt to ban TikTok while in office and his current support for it. He explained that it would unfairly benefit Facebook, a rationale many can appreciate.
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Harris has not attempted to clarify her stance, largely because she has avoided taking questions (though she occasionally talks to her traveling press corps off the record). This was a critical issue for the previous president, a point we now understand better.
This has allowed the Trump campaign to respond to her jabs by questioning her transparency:
“It has been ten days since Kamala’s effort to push Crooked Joe Biden off the ballot, yet she has not conducted a single interview or press conference… The only reasonable assumption is that she’s afraid.
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“Is Kamala aiming to be the first major nominee to completely avoid questions from the press?”
I truly hope that isn’t the case.
