Fierce Criticism Erupts from Illinois Gov Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Johnson, NABJ Prior to Trump Visit

Trump's Chicago Stop Sparks No-Holds-Barred Reaction From Johnson, Prikzer NABJ Backlash including resignation of NABJ co-chair, Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah

Karen Affiyah, co-chair of the NABJ Convention in Chicago steps down over Trump invitationPhoto byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Chicago today to address the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention, a visit that has evoked strong reactions from local and state officials across the area. The visit, is expected to bring protests and traffic disruptions, reflecting the contentious atmosphere surrounding Trump's presence in the city.

Chicago leaders wasted no time in laying into the former president before he could set foot in the city. llinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker blasted the appearence saying he does nothing but continuosly insult and denigrate Midwestern cities and their values.

“Every time Donald Trump visits the Midwest he tells us how much he hates it,” he said. “He called Milwaukee horrible. He called Detroit corrupt. He denigrated Chicago police. His visit to Chicago tomorrow will no doubt be another attempt to distract from his flailing campaign, with as many lies as there are vacancies at Trump Tower.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, known for his strong criticism of the former president, assured that the city would be ready for Trump's visit. Johnson also expressed his harsh views on what he perceives as Trump's disdain for Chicago.

“There’s no secret that the former president Donald Trump is an abuser,” Johnson said. “He was quite cruel to many individuals in the Black press in particular.”

In other comments, Mayor Johnson stated, “Trump is in the vein of those who were strong proponents of segregation. You know, look, you know, the Black Press has played an integral role in the transformation of our city here in Chicago. But as well as our country and our world, we're gonna be prepared as a city if he decides to actually arrive in Chicago uh to make sure that the nastiness in the iniquitous formation that he brings that, that doesn't stain the soul of Chicago. There are a number of individuals who have not accepted the results of the Civil War and I've been saying that for a year and it is very evident that here is someone who is making overtures to Um to dictatorish [dictatorship], announcing that people won't have to vote again in four years is a clear signal that he has all the intentions to take this country back to a very dark age.”

Trump's appearance at the NABJ convention comes during a highly charged presidential campaign season, and his invitation to speak has sparked debate within the journalistic community. The controversy surrounding NABJ's invitation highlights the ongoing struggle among journalists on how to handle Trump nearly a decade after his initial presidential campaign. Some members argue that journalists should provide a platform for newsmakers, while others point to Trump's derogatory treatment of prominent Black journalists during his presidency and his frequent attacks on the free press, including calling reporters "the enemy of the people."

NABJ President Ken Lemon emphasized the importance of having presidential candidates engage with the group, stating, “We invite the presidential candidates to come. We extend to anyone who’s a nominee, and in this case, we have two presumptive nominees.”

Lemon also highlighted that Trump’s session would include a real-time fact-checking element, rather than a traditional campaign speech. “It’s our job as journalists to have those uncomfortable conversations so that the people who count on us to inform them get it from an informed source,” Lemon added.

The decision to host trump did not go over well with many National Association of Black Journalist members. When the announcement was made, NABJ co-chair, and Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah stepped down.

“To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck,” Attiah wrote on social media. “While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format,” she continued.

“I understand that the job should put us in tough situations if we’re doing it in a meaningful way,” wrote Tyler J. Davis, an NABJ member and freelance journalist, in The TRiiBE, a local Chicago Black news outlet. "But this isn’t a story assignment or a news conference or a newsroom. NABJ is a place of learning, networking and feeling supported. It’s a space for Black folks to feel safe and celebrated; for Black media, specifically, to feel safe and celebrated,”

While Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, will not be able to attend the convention due to a packed schedule she is attempting to arrange to meet with the NABJ at a later date. However, it doesn't appear that the NABJ is open to this option.

“The NABJ team unfortunately denied a request for the VP to take part in a fireside chat virtually, or to host an in-person fireside chat with the VP at a later date,” an NABJ source said. But it was added that the Vice President values the work done by the organization and of Black reporters in general and that the organization would keep the door open to for other opportunities for the Vice President to speak to the group.

President of NABJ wants to make it completely clear that this invitation was in no way and endorsement of Trump. The invitation was extended to both him and Vice President Kamala Harris and despite it being something that goes back decades, they'll just have to wait and see what happens when Trumpt shows up.

When it was announced that Trump would speak at the NABJ convention today a fiery argument began online. While some journalists and other participants tentatively welcomed the idea of hearing what he had to say, others pushed back hard.

"This is platforming a tyrant, nothing more, nothing less," Write Life posted on X.

As NABJ gives a platform to Trump, I would hope they ask him about the many times he attacked Black journalists like Yamiche Alcindor, April Ryan, and Don Lemon," commented Keith Boykin on X. "But Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner is on the panel, and she has shown herself to be in the tank for Trump."

April Ryan, named NABJ’s journalist of the year in 2017, was also extremely upset at and invitation being extended to Trump to speak at NABJ and stated, “I object to this NABJ session with Donald Trump in Chicago. The reports of attacks on Black women White House correspondents by the then president of the United States are not myth or conjecture, but fact," Ryan continued. "To have a presumed orchestrated session with the former president is an affront to what this organization stands for and a slap in the face to the Black women journalists (NABJ journalists of the year) who had to protect themselves from the wrath of this Republican presidential nominee.”

Jim Trotter, the 2023 NABJ journalist of the year, wrote on X: “This is such a poor decision by @NABJ that it’s difficult to put into words.”

Carron Phillips, a two-time NABJ award-winning journalist, commented on the safety issue on X. “Y’all just made the only safe haven that Black journalists have, potentially unsafe, all because y’all want to look 'smarter than everybody else,' when this is….idiotic at best,”

Others took a different stance with regard to the former president's visit indicating Black journalists should take advantage of opportunities to interview Trump, in order to hold him accountable and suggesting that NABJ is particularly well -suited to such a task.

“To suggest they not interview a Presidential candidate on issues relevant to the organization’s constituency is outrageous,” Rana Cash, NABJ member and the executive editor of the Charlotte Observer, wrote on X.

The NABJ National Convention kicks off in Chicago today and Trump will be interviewed at 12:00pm CST. The conference concludes on August 4th at 12:00pm. There are still opportunities to attend some of the sessions. Get more information here.