Moments ago, Donald Trump gave an unhinged and disrespectful panel appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference in Chicago.
Trump’s appearance divided the NABJ attendees who referenced Trump’s long history of racism, sexism, discrimination, and xenophobia as reasons why he shouldn’t attend the conference. Other journalists specifically pointed out Trump’s history of attacking Black women journalists like April D. Ryan.
Trump proved the critics were correct from the moment he walked on stage. Trump attacked panel host and ABC News reporter Rachel Scott after her very first question about earning the trust of Black voters.
Trump refused to condemn the racist attacks from Republicans calling Vice President Kamala Harris a “DEI hire” and when asked directly if he agreed she was a “DEI hire,” Trump answered that she “could be.”
In a shocking moment that drew audible gasps from audience members in the room, Trump said he’d known Vice President Kamala Harris for a long time and he didn’t know she was Black “until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black.”
In another pitiful display of Trump’s disingenuous approach to courting Black voters, he seemed unaware of the murder of Sonya Massey by law enforcement in Illinois and doubled down on granting police nationwide immunity from prosecution.
Throughout the panel, Trump remained bitter about panel host Rachel Scott’s opening question and chose to antagonize, belittle, disrespect, ignore, and directly attack her throughout the discussion.
“This was one of the rudest and most disrespectful displays we’ve seen in modern presidential politics. Trump told awful lies about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ethnicity and showed his hatred for any journalist who will hold him accountable,” said American Bridge 21st Century Communications Director of Presidential Campaigns, Brandon Weathersby. “In addition to pure disrespect, Trump didn’t offer a detailed vision of improving the lives of Black Americans. It’s clear his goal wasn’t to win over Black voters, but instead to antagonize his opponents, because creating chaos and division is what Trump does best.”
Published: Aug 2, 2024