The Trump and Harris campaigns tangled Wednesday afternoon after the former president’s heated speech at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, and the Republican vice presidential nominee blasted Vice President Harris as a “coward.”
“Trump launched personal attacks and insults at Black journalists in the same way he has throughout his presidency, as he failed Black families and let the entire country dig itself out of the hole he left us in,” Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement after the event.
“Today’s tirade is just a taste of the chaos and division that have characterized Trump’s MAGA rallies throughout his campaign,” Tyler continued. “That’s exactly what the American people will see on the other side of the debate stage, as Vice President Harris offers a vision of opportunity and freedom for all Americans. All Donald Trump needs to do is stop playing games and show up to the debate on September 10th.”
Trump’s running mate, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, responded by saying the former president “walked right into the NABJ conference and showed he has the courage to answer tough questions, while Kamala Harris continues to hide from scrutiny or the hostile media like the coward that she is.”
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During the event, Trump clashed with ABC News reporter Rachel Scott, accusing her of asking a “nasty question” and calling the Disney-owned network “fake news.”
Trump participated in a question-and-answer session with Scott, Semafor reporter Kadia Goba and Fox News Channel The event made waves before it even began, as many black journalists opposed Trump being invited. Once the event began, Scott kicked things off by “bringing the topic that’s not being talked about.”
“A lot of people didn’t think it was appropriate for you to be here today,” Scott said. “You made false allegations about some of your rivals, from Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama, saying they weren’t born in the United States, which is not true. You asked four elected officials of color who were American citizens to return to their home countries.”
“You’ve used words like ‘animal’ and ‘rabid’ to describe black prosecutors. You attack black journalists, calling them losers, saying the questions they ask are, quote, stupid and racist. You had dinner with a white supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort. So my question, sir, now that you’re asking black supporters to vote for you, why should black voters trust you after using language like that?”
Trump confronts ABC News reporter over ‘unpleasant question’, slams ‘fake news network’ during heated Q&A
Former President Trump clashed with ABC News reporter Rachel Scott, accusing her of asking a “nasty question” and calling the Disney-owned network “fake news” Wednesday at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. (Fox News)
Trump responded to Scott by saying he had “never been asked a question in such a horrible way.”
“I love the black people of this country,” Trump said. “I’ve done so much for the black people of this country, especially in jobs, especially creating opportunity zones, with Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, which is one of the greatest programs ever put in place for black workers and entrepreneurs. I’ve done so much, you know. And I say this, historically, black colleges and universities didn’t have any money.
“And let me go even further,” Trump added. “I was invited here, and I was told that my opponent, whether it was Biden or Kamala, would be here. I was told that my opponent would be here. It turned out that my opponent was not here. You invited me under false pretenses.”
“And then you were half an hour late, just so we’d understand. I have too much respect for you to be late. They couldn’t get their equipment to work or something.”
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Former President Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Mr. President, I would like you to answer the question,” Scott said, again asking why black voters should trust him for another term.
“I think that’s a very unpleasant question,” Trump retorted. “I answered the question. I’ve been the best president for the black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
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Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have attended NABJ conventions in the past, either as presidents or as presidential candidates.
Trump posted on Truth Social after the NABJ event, saying of Scott: “The questions were rude and mean, often in the form of a statement, but we CRUSHED!”
Brian Flood and Landon Mion of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
