DONALD Trump exploded at a reporter almost immediately after sitting down for an interview with three black journalists on Wednesday.
The former president argued with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago as his appearance shocked attendees.
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The former president criticized ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott for her “disgraceful” approach during a question-and-answer session, even though she greeted Trump and shared her appreciation for his presence at the beginning of her question.
“Mr. President, we appreciate you giving us an hour of your time,” Scott began.
“I want to start by addressing the elephant in the room, sir. Many people didn’t think it was appropriate for you to be here today.
“You have made false claims about some of your rivals, from Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama, saying they were not born in the United States, which is not true,” she continued.
“You told four congressmen, black women who were American citizens, to go back to where they came from. You used words like “animal” and “angry” to describe black district attorneys.
“You attacked black journalists, calling them losers and saying the questions they ask are ‘stupid’ and ‘racist.’
“You had dinner with a white supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort.
“So my question, sir, now that you are asking black supporters to vote for you, why should black voters trust you after you used language like that?” she asked, prompting Trump to respond with her response.
“Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible way,” Trump responded.
“A first question – you don’t even say ‘Hello, how are you’.
“Are you with ABC? Because I think they are a fake news network, a terrible network,” he said, causing laughter from the audience.
“I think it’s a shame to have come here in a good spirit,” continued the Republican candidate.
“I love the black population of this country, I have done a lot for the black population of this country.”
Trump then said he was invited to the event under false pretenses after being told that Kamala Harris or President Joe Biden would also be at the convention.
Trump’s main political points
DONALD Trump closed the Republican National Convention on July 18 by telling his supporters he wanted to become president for “all Americans.”
- Implement tax cuts, including no tax on tips
- Protecting Social Security and Medicare – Trump said ‘incomes will soar and the middle class will prosper like never before’
- Securing the borders – He promised to end the ‘border nightmare’. That means two things on day one: ‘Drill baby Drill’, as he said, and closing the borders
- Finishing the construction of the wall
- Keeping our ‘sons and daughters safe’
- Replenish the military and build a military ‘dome’ – Trump insisted he could stop wars with just a phone call and said no military would be able to penetrate the US if he took office
- End the war in Ukraine and impose tariffs on Iran
- Promising to “beat” China
- Work to lower prices and alleviate inflation
- Reducing the cost of energy
- Making cities “safe, clean and beautiful” again
- Making it possible for Americans to buy gas-powered cars, ending the electric vehicle mandate on the first day of his presidency
“I was invited here and my opponent was told I would be here if it was Biden or Kamala,” he said, mispronouncing Harris’ name.
“It turns out that my opponent is not here. You invited me under false pretenses.”
The NABJ said it was working with Harris’ team to secure a future interview with the organization, but that the vice president was unable to attend the convention this week, not even via Zoom.
“And then you said you couldn’t do it over Zoom. Well, you know, where’s Zoom? She’s going to do it over Zoom and she doesn’t come,” Trump said.
“So you were half an hour late. Just so we understand, I have a lot of respect for you being late. They couldn’t get the equipment working or something was wrong.”
“I think it’s a very unpleasant question.”
When Scott pressed Trump to answer the question, he went on to say that he was the best president for black people since Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery during his time in the White House.
“I answered the question. I have been the best president for black people since Abraham Lincoln,” he said.
Trump’s interview at the NABJ conference in Chicago was moderated by Scott, Semafor’s Kadia Goba and Fox News host Harris Faulkner.
The event started more than an hour late due to technical issues reported at the convention.
“For you to start a question and answer period, especially when you’re 35 minutes late because you couldn’t get your equipment to work, in such a hostile way, I think it’s a shame,” he countered.
‘I GOT TO HIRE’
Trump then questioned Harris’ race as a Black and Indian woman when Scott asked for her response to Republican comments calling the vice president a “DEI contractor.”
“She always had Indian heritage and was just promoting Indian heritage,” Trump said.
“I didn’t know she was black until a few years ago when she became black, and now she wants to be known as black.
“So I don’t know, is she Indian or black?”
BOYCOTT REQUESTS
Trump’s presence at the conference sparked backlash, as some former attendees called for a boycott of the organization for black journalists.
April Ryan, The Grio’s White House correspondent, said on X that Trump’s comments were an “insult” and a “disgrace.”
“This is an insult to people’s intelligence!” she he wrote.
“@VP never turned around and became a person of color. This is terrible and a shame!”
Karen Attiah, co-president of NABJ, announced she was stepping down before the interview in an X post.
“To the journalists who interviewed Trump, I wish you the best of luck,” said Attiah, a Washington Post columnist. he wrote.
“To everyone else, I look forward to meeting and reconnecting with all of you in the Windy City.
“While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted in any way with the decision to put Trump in such a format,” she added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Trump’s comments were “disgusting” at Wednesday’s daily White House briefing.
“As a person of color, as a black woman who is in this position who is before you on this podium, behind this pulpit, what he just said, what you just read to me is repulsive, it is insulting,” she told reporters.
Harris’ campaign responded to Trump, claiming he had “failed” black families and accusing him of “hostility” in a statement after the exchange.
“Today’s speech is simply a snapshot of the chaos and division that has been a hallmark of Trump’s MAGA rallies throughout the campaign,” said Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler.
While the backlash against the former president’s comments continues, Trump supporters have also supported his comments on social media.
Texas Congressman Wesley Hunt wrote in Truth Social that Trump “stood strong in the face of vicious attacks and sticky questions, because that’s what leaders do.”
“President Trump is absolutely killing it in this interview with @NABJ,” model Amber Rose wrote in X.
Trump criticized ABC News on Truth Social after the event.
“ABC’s Fake News Some of the Worst in America!” he shared on the platform.
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