Many critics of former President Donald Trump’s interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention said he divided people more than bringing the pieces together during this tumultuous time.
Former President Donald Trump’s appearance at the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention represents something new for the annual gathering of reporters.
For Black journalists, the annual NABJ convention represents many things.
The convention represents a homecoming where former colleagues, co-workers and classmates can congregate and fellowship.
It represents networking and job-searching.
The summer convention represents fundraising and scholarships.
And every four years, it represents a platform for presidential and vice-presidential candidates to get their message out to a large voting bloc via Black journalists.
But after Trump’s visit to the 2024 NABJ convention in Chicago it could represent a turning-point in his political career because many Black voters have expressed disgust with his rhetoric and tone during his NABJ interview.
Below are some of the notable quotes made by the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
- “She was always of Indian heritage, and 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. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black. I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person.”—speaking of Vice President Kamala Harris’s mixed race of Black and Indian and suggesting someone look into her racial background.
- “Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, the first question. 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…I think it’s a very nasty question”—responding to journalist Rachel Scott’s question, which asked why Black voter should trust Trump after using words like “animal,” “rabid” and “loser” when discussing Black political figures and reporters.
- “Historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact. I mean, virtually no impact…Virtually never has it mattered.”—on criticism of his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
- “You’re voting for the president, and you can have a vice president who is outstanding in every way. And I think J.D. is, I think that all of them would have been, but you’re not voting that way. You’re voting for the president.”—speaking on past controversial comments made by his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio)
- “If they’re innocent.”—when asked if he would pardon people convicted of participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection, which attempted to overthrow American democracy.
- “If I felt, or if a group of people would feel, that somebody was being unfairly prosecuted because the person did a good job, maybe with crime, or made a mistake—an innocent mistake—there’s a big difference between being a bad person and making an innocent mistake. But if someone made an honest mistake, I would want to help that person.”—when asked about his support of police immunity.
- “I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country, including employment, including opportunity zones with Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, which is one of the greatest programs ever for Black workers and Black entrepreneurs.”—Black unemployment levels are lower under President Joe Biden than during the Trump administration.
- “I’ve done so much and, you know, when I say this, historically Black colleges and universities were out of money. They were stone cold broke, and I saved them, and I gave them long term financing and nobody else was doing it.”—Although he has supported HBCUs, Trump’s successor has taken that financial support further via the 2021 American Rescue Plan and new research grants.
- “It turned out my opponent isn’t here. You invited me under false pretense. And then you said you can’t do it with Zoom. Well, you know, where’s Zoom? She’s going to do it with Zoom and she’s not coming. And then you are half an hour late. Just so we understand, I have too much respect for you to be late. They couldn’t get their equipment to work or something.”—some NABJ convention attendees said the event began late because Trump would not agree to live fact-checking during the interview.
- “I really don’t know. I mean, I really don’t know. Could be. Could be. There are some, and there plenty. I know this lady right over here, Harris, is a fantastic person who just interviewed me at length, and we had a great interview, I think, and I heard you got very good rating on that interview.”—speaking on whether he believes Vice President Harris was a DEI hire, while also mentioning Fox News reporter Harris Faulkner, who helped moderate the NABJ/Trump interview.
- “My message is to stop people from invading our country that are taking, frankly, a lot of problems with it. But one of the big problems, and a lot of problems with it. But one of the big problems and a lot of journalists in this room I know, and I have great respect for, a lot of journalists in this room are Black. I will tell you that coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs. You had the best…–when asked about the divisiveness in the country pertaining to race and gender.
- “A Black job is anybody that has a job. That’s what it is. Anybody that has a job…They’re taking the employment away from Black people. They’re coming in, and they’re coming in, they’re invading. It’s an invasion of millions of people, probably 15, 16, 17 million people. I have a feeling it’s much more than that. And everybody has been seeing what’s happened. The first group of people, the Black population, is affected most by that, and Kamala is allowing it to happen”—when asked to describe what a Black job is.
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