Trump to participate in interview at National Association of Black Journalists convention

Former President Donald Trump is set to participate in an interview on Wednesday at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in Chicago.

Trump will engage in a discussion with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, and Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Trump will be questioned about “the most urgent concerns facing the Black community,” as stated in a press release by the association.

Ken Lemon, the president of the association, expressed anticipation for the audience to hear from former President Trump on the crucial issues that matter to their members and viewers the most.

Lemon added, “While NABJ does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we recognize the important work of our members and embrace the opportunity for them to pose challenging questions that will offer the truthful responses Black Americans seek.”

However, Trump’s participation has generated some backlash. April Ryan, the Washington bureau chief of theGrio and recipient of the NABJ’s “Journalist of the Year” award in 2017, deemed his invitation as “a disrespectful action.”

Karen Attiah, the co-chair of the convention, resigned earlier this week following the announcement of Trump’s participation. Attiah shared in a post on X, “To the journalists conducting the interview with Trump, I wish them the best of luck,” revealing that her decision was motivated by a combination of factors, with his appearance playing a partial role.

Conversely, some have supported the decision.

MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend, who previously served as Vice President Kamala Harris’s spokesperson, expressed on X: “Some of the most reputable journalists in the nation are members of NABJ. Therefore, why wouldn’t they interview Trump? He is the Republican nominee.”

“NABJ did not provide a platform for Trump. It was the voters in the Republican primary who did. Similar to other presidential candidates, he should engage in substantial interviews and address significant inquiries,” she stated.

Vice President Harris was also extended an invitation to attend, as per NABJ, which has hosted presidential contenders from both political spectrums for many 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 participated in the convention.

In a statement on Wednesday, NABJ stated that they had been in communication with Harris’s team for an in-person panel prior to Biden’s withdrawal, but “were informed by her campaign that her schedule could not accommodate this request.”

“The latest update we received indicated that Harris would not be available in person or virtually during our Convention. We are exploring virtual alternatives for the future and are still in negotiations to reach an agreement,” Lemon explained.

However, both the Associated Press and NPR reported that the organization declined an offer for her to participate virtually on Wednesday.