5 quotes from Trump in a contentious interview at Black journalists' conference
The former president displayed hostility towards the moderators and made false statements regarding Kamala Harris' ethnicity.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump's presence at a gathering of Black journalists sparked debate even before he took the microphone.
During the 30-minute session, the ex-president assailed the moderators, wrongly disputed Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity, and reiterated his intention to issue pardons for Jan. 6 defendants. This occurred at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, where the audience reacted with gasps, interruptions, and occasional applause as they viewed the live interview.
These are five of Trump's most contentious statements from the session.
While being questioned by ABC News’ Rachel Scott about Republican claims labeling Harris as a "DEI hire," Trump kept asking Scott to define DEI, despite her explanation of "diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Trump then criticized Harris, who has Indian and Jamaican heritage, over her racial identity.
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I 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,” Trump commented. “So I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
“I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person,” he continued, suggesting an investigation into Harris' background might be warranted.
Scott noted Harris' attendance at a historically Black college in an attempt to steer the conversation back to the initial question regarding the DEI label, to which Trump eventually responded, “I really don’t know, could be, could be. There are some.”
Upon starting the session, Trump immediately attacked moderator Scott following his handshake with her, triggered by her question about why Black voters should place their trust in him given his history of derogatory language about Black individuals.
“Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, the first question. You don’t even say, ‘Hello. How are you?’” Trump protested. “Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network.”
As the discussion moved forward, Trump dismissed Scott's manner of introduction as “very rude” and disparaged her question as “nasty” and “hostile.”
Claiming to have been one of the best presidents for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln, he restated his view of Scott’s query as a “disgrace.”
In a moment with Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, Trump avoided a clear answer regarding Sen. JD Vance's readiness to serve as president if necessary.
“Historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact,” he claimed. “I mean, virtually no impact … Virtually never has it mattered.”
Though less than enthusiastic in his endorsement, Trump acknowledged Vance's commitment to the “working man and woman,” distancing his campaign from Vance's criticized remarks, while affirming his suitability as a vice presidential candidate.
Concerning Jan. 6 defendants, Trump explicitly promised pardons, including for those accused of assaulting police, conditionally upon their innocence.
When questioned about undocumented immigrants at the conference, Trump justified his presence by expressing a desire to “stop people from invading our country,” suggesting that such immigrants were taking jobs from African Americans.
“A lot of the journalists in this room are Black,” Trump noted, adding, “I will tell you that coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs.”
He defined a "Black job" as any job held by someone, refuting the notion that undocumented immigrants were displacing African Americans in the workforce specifically.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has focused his immigration rhetoric towards Black and Latino communities, hoping to garner their support.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
During the 30-minute session, the ex-president assailed the moderators, wrongly disputed Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity, and reiterated his intention to issue pardons for Jan. 6 defendants. This occurred at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, where the audience reacted with gasps, interruptions, and occasional applause as they viewed the live interview.
These are five of Trump's most contentious statements from the session.
While being questioned by ABC News’ Rachel Scott about Republican claims labeling Harris as a "DEI hire," Trump kept asking Scott to define DEI, despite her explanation of "diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Trump then criticized Harris, who has Indian and Jamaican heritage, over her racial identity.
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I 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,” Trump commented. “So I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
“I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person,” he continued, suggesting an investigation into Harris' background might be warranted.
Scott noted Harris' attendance at a historically Black college in an attempt to steer the conversation back to the initial question regarding the DEI label, to which Trump eventually responded, “I really don’t know, could be, could be. There are some.”
Upon starting the session, Trump immediately attacked moderator Scott following his handshake with her, triggered by her question about why Black voters should place their trust in him given his history of derogatory language about Black individuals.
“Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, the first question. You don’t even say, ‘Hello. How are you?’” Trump protested. “Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network.”
As the discussion moved forward, Trump dismissed Scott's manner of introduction as “very rude” and disparaged her question as “nasty” and “hostile.”
Claiming to have been one of the best presidents for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln, he restated his view of Scott’s query as a “disgrace.”
In a moment with Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, Trump avoided a clear answer regarding Sen. JD Vance's readiness to serve as president if necessary.
“Historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact,” he claimed. “I mean, virtually no impact … Virtually never has it mattered.”
Though less than enthusiastic in his endorsement, Trump acknowledged Vance's commitment to the “working man and woman,” distancing his campaign from Vance's criticized remarks, while affirming his suitability as a vice presidential candidate.
Concerning Jan. 6 defendants, Trump explicitly promised pardons, including for those accused of assaulting police, conditionally upon their innocence.
When questioned about undocumented immigrants at the conference, Trump justified his presence by expressing a desire to “stop people from invading our country,” suggesting that such immigrants were taking jobs from African Americans.
“A lot of the journalists in this room are Black,” Trump noted, adding, “I will tell you that coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs.”
He defined a "Black job" as any job held by someone, refuting the notion that undocumented immigrants were displacing African Americans in the workforce specifically.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has focused his immigration rhetoric towards Black and Latino communities, hoping to garner their support.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
