Trump’s invitation to address the National Association of Black Journalists sparks controversy

Trump participates in Q&A session at NABJ Convention

Donald Trump appeared at the National Association Of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. The president went on late after an apparent dispute with organizers.

WASHINGTON - Donald Trump’s invitation to address the National Association of Black Journalists has sparked a serious divide within the organization.

NABJ traditionally invites presidential candidates to address their summer events during election years and has hosted George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama at past conventions.

But many NABJ members see the decision to host Trump as a threat to the convention’s ethos, which is to safeguard and advance Black journalists.

The organization has called Trump out for his treatment of Black women journalists. The former president was condemned by the NABJ in 2018 for repeatedly using the words "stupid," "loser" and "nasty."

"You talk about somebody that’s a loser; she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing," Trump said, referring to April Ryan, a White House Correspondent for The Grio. "She gets publicity, and then she gets a pay raise or a contract with, I think, CNN. But she’s very nasty. And she shouldn’t be. She shouldn’t be. You’ve got to treat the White House and the office of the presidency with respect."

In 2019, Trump referred to former CNN host Don Lemon as "the dumbest man on television" in a tweet referencing a debate question.

The controversial decision by NABJ to host Trump led to the resignation of the convention co-chair Karen Attiah.

"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," Attiah wrote in a social media post. "To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck."

NABJ President Ken Lemon insisted that the invitation was "absolutely not an endorsement."

He stated that when planning the convention, they contacted both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. A source familiar with Harris’s schedule told NBC News that the vice president could not fit a convention appearance into her schedule this week.

Trump will engage in a Q&A with political journalists about pressing issues facing the Black community before addressing the Chicago convention at 1 p.m.

Lemon asks the organization to look at Trump’s appearance as a "great opportunity to vet the candidate right here on our ground."