Trump Went To The 1 Place He Doesn't Belong — And Of Course It Didn't Go Well

Former President Donald Trump doesn’t belong in Black spaces.

That’s been evidently clear for a long time, given his numerous racist remarks, push to uphold systemic issues that put our lives at stake and doubling down on policy that further marginalizes those most vulnerable. Confronting him on those issues yields no positive results, not even accountability. Not even to the press.

Despite that being his reputation, he was invited to the annual National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago on Wednesday for an interview with three Black female journalists: ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Fox News’ Harris Faulkner and Semafor’s Kadia Goba.

Black journalists were disappointed by the news because of Trump’s history of disrespecting Black media professionals. Some, like author Raquel Willis, whose panel promoting her book was scheduled at the same time as Trump’s interview, even pulled out of attending the conference altogether.

It is a tradition for NABJ to invite presidential candidates to speak with journalists at its convention during election years. But critics said they didn’t believe anything good would come of the conversation and that the organization would just be giving the Republican presidential nominee another platform to further disrespect Black journalists.

They were right.

Soon after the former president took the stage, he evaded Scott’s first question about why Black voters should trust him despite his previous comments. He called her “nasty” and said she worked for a “fake news” outlet.

Trump went on to make false claims about likely Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of only just becoming Black because he’s always known her as Indian. He also claimed that she didn’t pass the bar exam, which she did after her second attempt.

Trump did exactly what Black journalists feared he would do at a conference that’s supposed to be a safe space for them. He spent 35 minutes spreading false rhetoric about Harris, immigrants and more. He also claimed to have done the most for Black people as president since Abraham Lincoln.

Trump stood on the same form of birtherism he and others have spewed at former president Barack Obama to attack Harris. He just added sexism to the pot. And he did it in a room full of Black journalists, no less.

Trump is using the same old tricks during this election cycle and that shouldn’t be a surprise. That’s the game he plays. What is a surprise, however, is when organizations designed to uplift and empower marginalized groups give him room to spread the dangerous and racist rhetoric he’s infamous for.

We already know what to expect from Trump. And of course a presidential candidate making controversial statements will always make the news, but giving him a platform to spew a renewed form of birtherism — while attacking a journalist who is a Black woman — is a serious slap in the face.