"Trump, described as hostile, takes the stage at Black journalists’ conference"
He asserted that he was the most beneficial president for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln and implied that Harris leveraged her race to secure her election.
TroibNews 
CHICAGO — Donald Trump launched a series of attacks during an explosive interview before a largely Black audience on Wednesday. He targeted a panel of Black women journalists and suggested Vice President Kamala Harris had switched her race to boost her political career. Trump also defended his supporters convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack.
The former president reiterated his claim to be the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln and dodged a question about whether his running mate, JD Vance, would be "ready on day one."
The 34-minute interview — seemingly cut short on Trump campaign’s instructions — left the audience in shock.
“It’s probably the most unusual presidential interview I’ve ever seen,” said Terry Marsh, an assistant professor of media at Norfolk State University. “He seemed to avoid answering questions that are important to this group of people. His motive was just to explain his agenda. I’m confused why he came.”
Trump's appearance comes as both he and Harris ramp up their campaigns with more events and new ads. His attacks on Harris underscore the stark contrasts between the two: Harris, a woman of Black and South Asian heritage, and Trump, a white man with a history of controversial remarks about women, people of color, and journalists.
Almost immediately after taking the stage, Trump clashed with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, who moderated the event alongside Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner and Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba — three Black women journalists, a group Trump has often criticized.
"First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don’t even say ‘hello, how are you.’ Are you with ABC, because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network,” Trump said in response to Scott's question about why Black voters should trust him given his past rhetoric.
He labeled Scott’s question “nasty” and described it as asked “in a hostile manner.” In 2018, then-NABJ President Sarah Glover criticized Trump for "verbally abusing journalists," calling his comments towards April Ryan, Abby Phillip, and Yamiche Alcindor “appalling” and “irresponsible.”
“I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln,” Trump emphasized, criticizing the organization for starting the panel late due to equipment issues.
Trump also quickly questioned Vice President Harris's racial background.
“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 turned Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said, asked to respond to Republicans who have labeled Harris a “DEI hire.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre immediately rebuked the comments.
“As a person of color, as a Black woman who is in this position that is standing before you at this podium, behind this lectern, what he just said, what you just read out to me is repulsive, it’s insulting,” she told reporters.
“She is the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, and we have to put some respect on her name. Period.”
Trump then criticized Democrats' handling of the southern border crisis, calling it “an invasion of millions” and argued that illegal border crossings were taking “Black jobs” — broadly defined as “any job” where migrants are "taking employment away from Black people." He also attacked Harris, labeling her as the “border czar” responsible for the issue, despite her diplomatic mandate to address the “root causes” of migration from Central America.
When asked if Vance would be “ready on day one,” Trump sidestepped the question.
“I’ve always had great respect for him, and for the other candidates too. … Historically the vice president in terms of the election does not have any impact,” replied Trump.
The NABJ-billed fireside chat saw 1,100 attendees waiting more than an hour before it commenced at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Some participants captured moments with their phones, while others expressed disbelief at Trump's comments about Harris’s racial identity. Discontent grew during a discussion on Democrats' views on abortion, and there were chuckles at a jab at President Joe Biden’s age, which deflected concerns about Trump’s own age.
Beverly White Higgs, a retired broadcaster, noted she wasn’t surprised by Trump’s comments, enumerating his usual rhetoric on HBCUs, abortion, and the vice presidential pick. “It’s how he handles business all the time — freestyling with a loose affiliation with the facts,” she remarked. “I think the three journalists did the best they could. ... He bulldozes journalists, especially Black women journalists.”
When asked if the exchange was "weird," Higgs responded, “I think weird understates this man. The racism, the sexism, it’s not weird. It’s awful. Weird is a three-legged dog. This isn’t weird. It’s gross.”
Trump’s participation in the annual conference sparked controversy before his appearance.
On Tuesday, some Black journalists and others criticized the decision to invite Trump, condemning it as offering him a platform. Others argued it was crucial for journalists to interview a presidential candidate regardless of personal views about the GOP nominee.
NABJ Co-Chair Karen Attiah announced she would step down, citing lack of involvement in the decision. Femi Redwood, chair of the NABJ’s LGBTQ+ task force, expressed dismay at not being included in discussions about hosting Trump, considering his impact on Black queer and trans people.
“This is the single dumbest and worst decision in NABJ history,” Carron J. Phillips, a 2019 and 2020 NABJ award winner, wrote on X. “Whoever made this call is an idiot. And I’ll say it to their face this week.”
Harrison Fields, a Trump surrogate and former assistant press secretary in the Trump White House, viewed the interview as a no-win scenario for Trump and described the setting as hostile.
“This is consistent with who Trump is,” Fields said. “Trump is going to go to places that aren't necessarily his comfort zone, but he understands the value of having these conversations.”
Eugene Daniels contributed to this report.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
The former president reiterated his claim to be the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln and dodged a question about whether his running mate, JD Vance, would be "ready on day one."
The 34-minute interview — seemingly cut short on Trump campaign’s instructions — left the audience in shock.
“It’s probably the most unusual presidential interview I’ve ever seen,” said Terry Marsh, an assistant professor of media at Norfolk State University. “He seemed to avoid answering questions that are important to this group of people. His motive was just to explain his agenda. I’m confused why he came.”
Trump's appearance comes as both he and Harris ramp up their campaigns with more events and new ads. His attacks on Harris underscore the stark contrasts between the two: Harris, a woman of Black and South Asian heritage, and Trump, a white man with a history of controversial remarks about women, people of color, and journalists.
Almost immediately after taking the stage, Trump clashed with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, who moderated the event alongside Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner and Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba — three Black women journalists, a group Trump has often criticized.
"First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don’t even say ‘hello, how are you.’ Are you with ABC, because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network,” Trump said in response to Scott's question about why Black voters should trust him given his past rhetoric.
He labeled Scott’s question “nasty” and described it as asked “in a hostile manner.” In 2018, then-NABJ President Sarah Glover criticized Trump for "verbally abusing journalists," calling his comments towards April Ryan, Abby Phillip, and Yamiche Alcindor “appalling” and “irresponsible.”
“I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln,” Trump emphasized, criticizing the organization for starting the panel late due to equipment issues.
Trump also quickly questioned Vice President Harris's racial background.
“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 turned Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said, asked to respond to Republicans who have labeled Harris a “DEI hire.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre immediately rebuked the comments.
“As a person of color, as a Black woman who is in this position that is standing before you at this podium, behind this lectern, what he just said, what you just read out to me is repulsive, it’s insulting,” she told reporters.
“She is the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, and we have to put some respect on her name. Period.”
Trump then criticized Democrats' handling of the southern border crisis, calling it “an invasion of millions” and argued that illegal border crossings were taking “Black jobs” — broadly defined as “any job” where migrants are "taking employment away from Black people." He also attacked Harris, labeling her as the “border czar” responsible for the issue, despite her diplomatic mandate to address the “root causes” of migration from Central America.
When asked if Vance would be “ready on day one,” Trump sidestepped the question.
“I’ve always had great respect for him, and for the other candidates too. … Historically the vice president in terms of the election does not have any impact,” replied Trump.
The NABJ-billed fireside chat saw 1,100 attendees waiting more than an hour before it commenced at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Some participants captured moments with their phones, while others expressed disbelief at Trump's comments about Harris’s racial identity. Discontent grew during a discussion on Democrats' views on abortion, and there were chuckles at a jab at President Joe Biden’s age, which deflected concerns about Trump’s own age.
Beverly White Higgs, a retired broadcaster, noted she wasn’t surprised by Trump’s comments, enumerating his usual rhetoric on HBCUs, abortion, and the vice presidential pick. “It’s how he handles business all the time — freestyling with a loose affiliation with the facts,” she remarked. “I think the three journalists did the best they could. ... He bulldozes journalists, especially Black women journalists.”
When asked if the exchange was "weird," Higgs responded, “I think weird understates this man. The racism, the sexism, it’s not weird. It’s awful. Weird is a three-legged dog. This isn’t weird. It’s gross.”
Trump’s participation in the annual conference sparked controversy before his appearance.
On Tuesday, some Black journalists and others criticized the decision to invite Trump, condemning it as offering him a platform. Others argued it was crucial for journalists to interview a presidential candidate regardless of personal views about the GOP nominee.
NABJ Co-Chair Karen Attiah announced she would step down, citing lack of involvement in the decision. Femi Redwood, chair of the NABJ’s LGBTQ+ task force, expressed dismay at not being included in discussions about hosting Trump, considering his impact on Black queer and trans people.
“This is the single dumbest and worst decision in NABJ history,” Carron J. Phillips, a 2019 and 2020 NABJ award winner, wrote on X. “Whoever made this call is an idiot. And I’ll say it to their face this week.”
Harrison Fields, a Trump surrogate and former assistant press secretary in the Trump White House, viewed the interview as a no-win scenario for Trump and described the setting as hostile.
“This is consistent with who Trump is,” Fields said. “Trump is going to go to places that aren't necessarily his comfort zone, but he understands the value of having these conversations.”
Eugene Daniels contributed to this report.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
