Former President Donald Trump will for the first time address members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
NABJ made the announcement on Monday evening (July 29), saying the 2024 Republican presidential nominee has accepted an invitation to speak to the group at its annual convention this week in Chicago.
Trump will participate in a Q&A session with political journalists and conference attendees on Wednesday, July 31, according to a press release from NABJ.
The conversation will be moderated by Rachel Scott, senior congressional correspondent for ABC News; Harris Faulkner, anchor of The Faulkner Focus and co-host of Outnumbered on FOX News; and Kadia Goba, politics reporter at Semafor.
Related: CNN’s Van Jones Chokes Up Over Biden Dropping Out of Race – ‘This Is Patriotism’
“We look forward to our attendees hearing from former President Trump on the critical issues our members and their audiences care about most,” NABJ President Ken Lemon 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 added.
News of Trump’s appearance immediately sparked backlash from some members of the organization.
“I have decided to step down as co- chair from this year’s #NABJ24 convention in Chicago,” Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah announced Tuesday on X. “To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck.”
Sports journalist Jim Trotter, who was NABJ’s journalist of the year in 2023, added on X about the decision to invite Trump: “This is such a poor decision by @NABJ that it’s difficult to put into words.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, was also invited to participate in this year’s NABJ convention. As of publication time, her confirmation was still pending.
Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all attended NABJ conventions.
In 2017, then-White House aide Omarosa Manigault represented the Trump administration at the NABJ convention in New Orleans, and her appearance devolved into a screaming match over her role in the administration and Trump’s views on police brutality.
This year’s conference theme is “Winds of Change: Journalism Over Disinformation.” The convention, which takes place in a different city each year, will be held at the Hilton Chicago from Wednesday, July 31 until Sunday, Aug. 4.
Trump’s speech is not open to the public, but will stream live on NABJ’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
In 2023, about 3,600 print, broadcast, digital and radio journalists attended the NABJ convention in Birmingham, Alabama, NABJ said on its website.
This year even more attendees are expected in Chicago.
The organization was founded in 1975 in Washington D.C., by journalists to help increase the representation of Black professionals in mainstream media. The first NABJ convention was held in 1976 at Texas Southern University.
? Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump will participate in a conversation with journalists at #NABJ24 during its opening day in Chicago on Wednesday, July 31, at noon CST. For more details: https://t.co/3WBTzQg8dd pic.twitter.com/VoPLU41xJC
— #NABJ Headquarters ??????? ? ? ? ? (@NABJ) July 30, 2024
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
