(Elias Irizarry, Headline USA) Former President Donald Trump clashed with a hostile interviewer during a tense 40-minute discussion at the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in Chicago on Wednesday.
Trump took part in the panel—moderated by Fox News’s Harris Faulkner, ABC News’s Rachel Scott and Semafor’s Kadia Goba—to address “the most pressing issues facing the Black community,” according to a press release from the Trump campaign.
However, the interview started more than 30 minutes late and was littered with equipment and technology errors, which Trump himself was quick to note, warding off accusations that he was late out of disregard for the audience.
Scott further goaded the former president with her first question, claiming to address “the elephant in the room” with a strawman attack on Trump that presumed to speak for black voters everywhere.
“A lot of people did not think it was appropriate for you to be here today,” she said.
“You have pushed false claims on your rivals … saying they were not born in the United States,” she continued. “… You have used words like animal and rabbit to describe black district attorneys. … You have attacked black journalists calling them losers. … You have had dinner with a white supremacist. Why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that?”
The tone of the question led Trump to fire back at Scott for her poor hospitality.
“Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” he said. “I think it’s a very rude introduction; I don’t know exactly why you would do something like that.”
ABC’s Rachel Scott opened her interview with President Trump by accusing him of being a racist for criticizing black politicians & journalists. Trump responded masterfully, pointing out that he showed up for the interview while Kamala Harris did not. pic.twitter.com/ZIrl5UCfAQ
— @amuse (@amuse) July 31, 2024
Trump touted his accomplishments for the African–American community and mentioned his work with creating opportunity zones Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as well as lowering Black unemployment and securing long-term funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Trump then accused the organization of inviting him under “false pretenses,” telling him that his opponent would be participating, as well as telling him that he wasn’t allowed to participate over Zoom, but then allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to do so.
“For you to start an answering and question period, especially when you’re 35 minutes late because you couldn’t get your equipment to work, in such a hostile manner—I think it’s a disgrace,” said Trump.
Scott then followed up, and asked the former President if labeling Harris “a DEI hire” was acceptable language, and if he would tell people to stop doing so.
Trump responded by asking her to define “DEI.”
Scott elaborated by asking if Trump believed that Harris was on the ticket only because she’s a black woman.
“I’ve known her a long time, indirectly, and she was always of Indian heritage and only promoting Indian heritage,” said Trump—who even donated $6,000 to one of Harris’s campaigns for attorney general in California.
“I didn’t know she was black, until a couple of years ago when she happened to turn black,” he continued. “So, I don’t know—is she Indian or black?”
The Best Smack Down On The Internet!
Question: Do you believe VP Kamala Harris is only on the ticket because she’s a Black Women?
TRUMP: “She was always of Indian Heritage….
I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now she… pic.twitter.com/xv7xrt3OMl— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) July 31, 2024
Fox News’s Faulkner attempted to calm things down by cutting into the combative exchange with a question about how divided the country is politically along lines of gender and race.
“In this moment, where we are, why come here? What is your message today?” Faulkner asked.
“My message is to stop people from invading our country that are taking … black jobs,” Trump responded.
“What exactly is a black job, sir?” asked one of the journalists.
“Anybody that has a job,” responded Trump. “The black population is affected most by that, and Kamala is allowing it to happen, and she’s the border czar—she’s the worst border czar in the world.”
Trump proceeded to hammer his newly anointed presidential rival on her record of absenteeism during the Biden administration.
“She’s done a horrible job,” he said.
“These people are coming into our country, and they’re taking black jobs, they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and, frankly, they’re taking union jobs,” he continued. “Many of these people are coming from jails, they’re coming from mental institutions.”
Donald Trump to the National Association of Black Journalists: “A lot of the journalists in this room are black. I will tell you that coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking black jobs.
Q. “What’s exactly is a black job, sir?”
Trump:… pic.twitter.com/cEnaXrNpE9
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 31, 2024
Goba, of Semafor, asked Trump about his view of the shooting of Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed by police in her own home for holding a bowl of hot water.
“You’ve said police would get immunity from prosecution if you win,” she began, referring to the former president’s push to grant greater immunity to law-enforcement officers in the performance of their duties.
“Why should someone like that officer have immunity?” asked Goba.
“We need to give our police officers their respect and dignity back,” responded Trump. “In this case, I saw something that didn’t look good to me.”
Trump noted that there was no perfect solution when it came to allegations of police shootings and brutality since some might be done for the wrong reasons.
However, many officers were trying to use their best judgment under intense circumstances to ensure their safety and that of fellow officers and citizens.
“You go after someone and it’s a very close call, and it’s very dangerous,” Trump said.
“A policeman’s, or woman’s, life is a very difficult thing, because sometimes you have less than a second to make a life or death decision, and sometimes very bad decisions are made,” he continued. “They’re not made from an evil standpoint, but they’re made from the standpoint [that] they made a mistake.”
The panel asked Trump a variety of questions including his stance on Jan. 6 defendants, whom he defended and said he would pardon if re-elected.
He also noted the hypocritical double standard between how “Save America” rallygoers had been treated for simply entering a public building in comparison with pro-Hamas supporters who recently vandalized nearby Union Station.
“You have people from Minneapolis—you have people, just five days in Washington D.C., they were having fist fights and fighting with the police,” Trump said.
“They were spraying and destroying, they were desecrating our monuments in Washington D.C., five days ago, and nothing happened to them,” he continued. “You can’t have two systems of justice.”
President Trump spends 3 minutes putting on a masterclass in not taking Rachel Scott’s bait on January 6.
He brings up the pro-Hamas rioters from last week, the Minneapolis rioters, the Portland rioters, etc… pic.twitter.com/aukwU0JVL4
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 31, 2024
The announcement by the NABJ to invite Trump to attend sparked immediate controversy within the organization.
Co-chair Karen Attiah, a journalist with the Washington Post, announced her separation from the organization in the aftermath of the controversy, wishing the “best of luck” to the journalists interviewing Trump.
She resigned over black journalists practicing journalism. What a time to be alive. https://t.co/B89IWICKgK
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) July 31, 2024
Many applauded Trump’s decision to participate in the panel and answer questions—even in the face of a hostile environment—and noted Harris’s failure to attend the event.
“President Trump has continually said that unlike Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, he’s running to be President for ALL Americans,” stated a follow-up press release from Trump’s campaign. “If you’re running to unite the entire Country, you have to back it up with action like President Trump did today at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago.”
Trump is winning Black voters by being himself. He went into a hostile room and acted like himself. The effect is negligible. The WORK is with the culture. The media will follow…
— Sonnie Johnson (@SonnieJohnson) July 31, 2024
Follow Elias Irizarry at twitter.com/eliasforsc.
