(CHICAGO) — Former President Donald Trump is being interviewed on Wednesday at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in Chicago.
Trump is in conversation with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner and Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba.
Trump will be asked about “the most pressing issues facing the Black community,” according to a press release by the association.
“We look forward to our attendees hearing from former President Trump on the critical issues our members and their audiences care about most,” Ken Lemon, the association’s president, said in a statement.
“While NABJ does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we understand the serious work of our members, and welcome the opportunity for them to ask the tough questions that will provide the truthful answers Black Americans want and need to know,” Lemon said.
NABJ is working with Politifact for real-time fact checking on Trump’s comments.
But Trump’s appearance has stoked some criticism. April Ryan, the Washington bureau chief of theGrio who was awarded the NABJ’s “Journalist of the Year” back in 2017, wrote online that his invitation was “a slap in the face.”
Karen Attiah, the co-chair of the convention, resigned earlier this week after the NABJ announced Trump’s appearance. Attiah wrote in a post on X, “To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck,” explaining that his appearance was only partly behind her decision and that it was “influenced by a variety of factors.”
Others, however, have defended the decision.
MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend, who was formerly Vice President Kamala Harris’s spokesperson, wrote on X: “Some of the best journalists in the country are members of NABJ. So, why wouldn’t they interview Trump? He is the Republican nominee.”
“NABJ didn’t platform Trump. The voters in the Republican primary did. Just like anyone else who is running for President, he should sit for serious interviews and answer real questions,” she wrote.
Vice President Harris was also invited to attend, according to NABJ, which has hosted presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle for years. President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have all attended the convention.
NABJ, in a statement on Wednesday, said that it was in contact with Harris’s team for an in-person panel before Biden had dropped out but “were advised by her campaign that her schedule could not accommodate this request.”
“The last update we were provided was that Harris would not be available in person or virtually during our Convention. We are in talks about virtual options in the future and are still working to reach an agreement,” Lemon said.
Though the Associated Press and NPR reported the organization declined an offer for her to appear virtually on Wednesday.
As Trump is in Chicago, Harris on Wednesday will have lunch with Biden at the White House before traveling to Houston, Texas, for a political event and to deliver remarks Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.’s 60th International Biennial Boule. The sorority is a historically Black organization with hundreds of chapters across the U.S. and internationally.
As the 2024 race ramps up, both Harris and Trump will be looking to shore up support among Black voters.
On the campaign trail this year, Trump’s suggested Black voters relate to his indictment and has frequently claims he will stop undocumented immigrants from taking “Black jobs.”
Harris, who is likely to be the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to head a major party’s presidential ticket, recently encouraged Black voters to help make history by supporting her. In her speech, she pointed to wins under the current administration like the Child Tax Credit that reduced Black child poverty, student loan relief and lowering the costs of prescription drugs.
“In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past, and with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future, and let us be clear about what that future looks like,” Harris said at the event.
A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found enthusiasm for Harris as the Democratic nominee had peaked among Democrats (88%) and Black Americans (70%).
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