A national organization for black journalists is under fire after it announced former President Donald Trump would appear at its convention Wednesday.
Leaders for the National Association of Black Journalists defended its decision to have Trump, 78, speak during a Q&A session as scores of its rank-and-file members and other reporters blasted the invite.
Trump was asked to attend in 2016 and 2020, but turned down the association both times before accepting this year as the Republican nominee looks to retake the White House.
“To say I’m disappointed in @NABJ would be an understatement,” supervising producer Jasmine Ellis tweeted.
“This decision and announcement should’ve been handled with much more care. It feels shortsighted, self serving and the damage to the org reputation will be significant.”
CBS Sports host Ashley Nicole Moss called the decision “extremely disappointing.”
“this is supposed be a safe place for Black journalists to connect/network. it’s a space to uplift current and upcoming journalists,” she wrote on X. “to remind each other that we belong. he has absolutely ZERO business being in a room like that/this.”
“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,” former Deadspin writer Carron Phillips tweeted.
The association consistently invites presidential candidates from each major party to attend their conference, its leaders pointed out in defending the invitation.
“I helped make this call. And it’s in line with invitations NABJ has sent to every presidential candidate for decades,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution Washington correspondent Tia Mitchell said in response to another tweet from Phillips, according to Page Six.
“But continue to go off on your feed. I’ll continue to work to create opportunities for journalists to interview the potential next President.”
NABJ President Ken Lemon also defended the decision.
“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,” he posted.
Former senior adviser to President Biden and current MSNBC host Symone D. Sanders Townsend also agreed with the decision.
“Some of the best journalists in the country are members of NABJ. So, why wouldn’t they interview Trump? He is the Republican nominee. Seems like the journalists complaining don’t understand their jobs are to actually ask the questions,” she explained in a social media post.
“NABJ didn’t platform Trump. The voters in the Republican primary did. Just like anyone else who is running for president, he should sit for serious interviews and answer real questions. That’s happening Wednesday.”
Adding to the contention, Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, turned down appearing at the convention because she’s attending the funeral of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on Wednesday.
But the organization declined Harris’ offer to set up a virtual Q&A or hold it at another date, a source told NBC News.
Fox News host Harris Faulkner, ABC News congressional correspondent Rachel Scott and Semafor reporter Kadia Goba will moderate the event with Trump, which will focus on issues most important to the black community.
Trump’s campaign said the 45th president was “grateful” for the invite.
“Team Trump believes it’s important to give black journalists more access to presidential candidates so they can better inform black voters,” Black Media Director Janiyah Thomas told Page Six.
“President Trump’s message is resonating with black voters and all communities deserve to hear what he has to say.”
