The Interview of Donald J. Trump By the NABJ (Part 1)

On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, the National Association of Black Journalists Interviewed Former President Donald Trump. As a journalist I listened intently to the interview of Donald Trump by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) at its annual conference held in Chicago, Illinois. It was shown on CNN. Many people objected to the invitation to former President Trump to even speak at the conference. However, as a journalist, I wanted to hear his answers to some poignant questions.

Right off the bat, Donald Trump complained about the equipment being not very good. He kept saying that he could not hear the questions because the microphones were in lousy shape. He immediately insulted and attacked Rachel Scott, the African American news reporter for ABC News. From there, it was one insult after another.

Former President Trump visits the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention on July 31, 2024 in Chicago. Photo: Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

I felt the questions were fair for someone running for president. However, Donald Trump did not answer the questions directly. He spent his time complaining and attacking Vice-President Kamala Harris. Am I surprised? No! But I wanted him to say what he really felt before the election since he has not agreed to a debate. Although I had some reservations about the NABJ inviting him to the conference, however I am glad the organization did invite him. We had a chance to really hear him and his opinions when it comes to race.

Immediately, Donald Trump raised questions about the racial identity of Vice-President Harris. He said that she used to be Indian, now she has turned Black because she is running for president. He referred to her as unqualified and maybe she should take a cognitive test. It was a heated discussion all the way through the interview. The three journalists who interviewed him were subjected to insults. He really got upset when Rachel Scott asked him, “Why Should Blacks Trust You?” He was totally combative throughout the interview.

When talking about immigration, he said what he always says, that the illegal immigrants coming to this country are criminals and they want to take jobs from Blacks and others. He always says they want to take “Black Jobs.” He was asked what does he mean by Black Jobs. Donald Trump needs to realize that we are no longer picking cotton. This is 2024 and African Americans are in all kinds of jobs in every aspect of this country.

On the issue of saying that Kamala is not Black, this is an ongoing theme with him. He questioned Barack Obama’s identity and also that of Nikki Haley, the former Ambassador to the United Nations. It seems he has major problems with people of color. This was a meandering confusing interview on the part of Donald Trump. Any reasonable person watching this would have to question whether or not he should be president.

When asked about the murder of Sonya Massey, the Black woman who was shot in the face by a police officer and what did he felt about the punishment of the officer, he replied that he heard something about it. Was it about the water he asked? He kept referring to the disturbances in Minneapolis and other places saying nothing was done about that.

There is no reason to insult professional Black journalists who were asking legitimate questions. Perhaps the former president should read a book if he reads at all, entitled “How to Win Friends and Influence People” written by Dale Carnegie.

Part 2 will examine his answers to the January 6th insurrection and his comments on his Vice-President pick JD Vance.