Donald Trump and The National Association of Black Journalists: Watch For Yourself

Former President Donald Trump and the National Association of Black Journalist were scheduled for a one-hour panel discussion. They made it 35 minutes.

Watch it for yourself here: (WTVC NewsChannel 9)

From The Chicago Sun-Times:

Donald Trump’s question-and-answer session with Black journalists in Chicago became contentious almost immediately.

The former president was argumentative in responding to the first question, from moderator Rachel Scott of ABC News.

Scott’s first question was prefaced with a recitation of Trump’s past statements, including Trump’s claim that former President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States, and Trump’s past treatment of Black journalists.

“Why should Black voters trust you, after you have used language like that?” Scott asked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” Trump said.

“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, as some in the audience at the Hilton Chicago jeered.

“I love the Black population of this country,” Trump said, continuing to interrupt Scott as she tried to press for an answer.

“I think it’s a very nasty question. … I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”

Trump also argued with Scott over her question that some Republicans have referred to Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive nominee, as “a DEI candidate.”

First he asked for a definition, and Scott reminded Trump DEI stands for “diversity, equity, inclusion.” She then tried to pin him down on whether Republicans are saying Harris is the nominee based only on her race and gender.

Trump contended that Harris hadn’t previously identified as Black, but now does.

“She was always of Indian heritage. 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 said.

“So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black? … I respect either one but she obviusly doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person.”

Harris, who has a mother of Indian heritage and a Black father, always has identified as Black and attended Howard University, a prominent historically Black school.

Trump’s appearance at the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists ran late. He walked out about 1:15 p.m., later than the scheduled noon, then blamed the delay on NABJ’s own audio issues, a point he brought up repeatedly during questions.

“You’re the one that held me up for 35 minutes,” he said at one point. He also complained about having a hard time hearing some questions, and one of the questioners said she was having audio problems as well.

Things settled down a bit after a contentious beginning, with Trump touching on a range of topics, including jobs, inflation and border security among them — though in nearly each case, he was often repeating previously-debunked claims, such as that inflation is at its highest point in a century.

Trump argued with the moderator over some of the questions he faced during an appearance Wednesday at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention at the Hilton Chicago.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
At one point, Trump was asked if he would step down if his health declined: “Oh absolutely. I think I’d know. I think I’d know.”

Besides Scott, senior congressional correspondent for ABC News, the others on the panel were Harris Faulkner of Fox News, and Kadia Goba, politics reporter at Semafor. Goba interviewed Trump this year, and Faulkner sat down with Trump this month.

So, what say you? Discuss in the comments.