Yesterday, Donald Trump spent 34 minutes lying to and insulting Black journalists, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the American public when he took the stage at what was supposed to be an hour-long conversation at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention in Chicago, IL. Expectations were already low, yet, Trump still successfully managed to waste everyone’s time (literally) in what was no doubt a colossal trainwreck. 

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison: 

Here’s what some NABJ reporters had to say: 

@HaroldRKuntz3: Per Folks in the inside: “Trump is threatening to pull out if we fact check him.”

@AmeshiaCross: Trump is the holdup. He is refusing a live fact check. Doesn’t want to take the stage if Politifact is live fact checking #NABJ24

@AmeshiaCross: Read him the receipts: he’s hosted white supremacists, attacked Black journalists, Black candidates (birtherism) Trump attacked saying he saved HBCUs, says he’s been the best POTUS since Lincoln, calls the questions nasty and disgraceful #NABJ24

@TheAmirVera: Former President Donald Trump came out to barely any applause. #NABJ24

@JasJWright: Trump’s interview at NABJ is off to a very rough start. 

After @rachelvscott asks about his prior comments about Black electeds, including comments like “rabid”

Trump slams the questioner for greeting him in a “horrible manner,” as someone in the crowd yelled “show her some respect.”

Trump said “I have been the best president for the Black population since President Lincoln,” to which the crowd laughed loudly

@CuriousScout: Boy this is rough to witness. @rachelvscott doesn’t deserve to be treated like this in what should be a safe space for Black women journalists #NABJ #NABJ24 @kadiagoba @HARRISFAULKNER

@CuriousScout: Ok @rachelvscott tried but Trump has fully attacked her right at the gate. “Fake news” and “Black population” already dropped.

@rolandsmartin: It took @realDonaldTrump less than 1 minute to start insulting @NABJ. This is 100% TRASH.

@shaq_omari: Presidential Candidate Donald Trump comes out on stage and calls ABC News a “fake news network” #NABJ #DonaldTrump #Trump #NABJFactCheck

@keithboykin: Right off the bat, Trump attacks ABC reporter for asking a question in a “horrible manner” and attacks them for being “fake news” and “rude.” NABJ got played

@amberwaves: Out the gate on @rachelvscott‘s fair question about the elephant in the room on him even being here and the name calling and criticisms of Black journalists, Trump calls her nasty and disrespectful all throughout his non-answer. #NABJ24

@KarenAttiah: Trump has not answered directly a single question #NABJ24

@Chandelis: Donald Trump says he didn’t know VP Harris was a Black woman until recently:

“She was always of Indian heritage & 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 & now she wants be known as Black.”

@shaq_omari: Donald Trump dodges the question on whether VP Kamala Harris is a DEI hire, saying Harris only claimed she’s Black  a few years ago. 

#DonaldTrump #Trump #NABJ24 #NABJ #Election

@KarenAttiah: The crowd has actually been gasping and upset at Trumps attacks on N.A.B.J., Kamala Harris’s racial identity, etc

@AmeshiaCross: “Is she Indian or is she Black….she was Indian forever until she….long pause…became a Black person”- @realDonaldTrump on @KamalaHarris What the hell is this #NABJ24

@KarenAttiah: Room is boiling with anger and disappointment right now

@KarenAttiah: Trump is saying he doesn’t know much about the Sonya Massey case in response to a question about police and qualified immunity #NABJ24

@AmeshiaCross: Someone just yelled at Trump”sir have you no shame” from the audience. Trump refuses to admonish the Jan 6 rioters already convicted #NABJ24

@KarenAttiah: This does not help us here in the room, who aren’t seeing it on the screens. And Trump is not being checked directly!!!

This is a charade.

@WilliamsSharrie: Trump recap at @NABJ:

-Says opening question was horrible, rude and nasty 

-I didn’t know Kamala is Black until a few years ago. She was Indian until she turned Black

-A Black job is any job, any job a Black person has

-Rioters from Jan 6th deserve immunity #NABJ24

@sagesurge: My favorite quote from Trump at this disaster at the National Association of Black Journalists is…

“A lot of journalists in this room are Black.”

#NABJ #NABJ24 #NABJ2024

@sagesurge: Trump’s team cut them off when they asked about Project 2025.

#NABJ #NABJ24 #NABJ2024

@Stephon_Dingle: Former president Trump leaves after last question to a murmuring crowd. The 35 minute convo was quite something to witness in person. It was mixed with defiant silence at times, along with laughs and random singular shouting in response to Trump claims. 

@NABJ @wjz #Campaign2024

@theatlantavoice: Trump was hauled off stage after 35 minutes. He was supposed to be on stage for 60 minutes. This was a disaster. #NABJ24