Editor's Note: Protests are planned and traffic is expected Wednesday as former President Donald Trump is expected to speak at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. Our latest story can be found here.
Former President Donald Trump will visit Chicago this week to speak at the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention, and the news has sparked mixed reaction both within that group and from local and state officials.
Trump’s visit comes amid a heated presidential campaign that has already seen plenty of drama, and the invitation for him to address the group in an interview-style setting has sparked plenty of debate on its own.
“We invite the presidential candidates to come,” NABJ President Ken Lemon said. “We extend to anyone who’s a nominee, and in this case, we have two presumptive nominees.”
Lemon also said there will be a real-time fact check of the president’s remarks, rather than a campaign-style speech.
“It’s our job as journalists to have those uncomfortable conversations, so that the people who count on us to inform them get it from an informed source,” he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, will not be able to address the convention, but has made efforts to schedule another meeting with the group, according to NBC 5 Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern.
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Trump’s appearance has caused serious division within NABJ, with the co-chair of this week’s convention, Washington Post reporter Karen Attiah, announcing that she was stepping down from her role after not being consulted about the event.
Trump last visited Chicago for a 2019 rally, with hundreds of protesters gathering outside Trump Tower in the Loop, dozens of physical altercations in the audience at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and plenty of rancor from the then-president himself, who criticized former Chicago Police Supt. David Brown as a “disgrace.”
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a harsh critic of the former president, pledges that the city will be prepared for the visit, but had strong words about Trump’s alleged contempt for Chicago.
“There’s no secret that the former president Donald Trump is an abuser,” he said. “He was quite cruel to many individuals in the Black press in particular.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also blasted Trump’s visit, saying he has repeatedly insulted Midwestern cities and values.
“Every time Donald Trump visits the Midwest he tells us how much he hates it,” he said. “He called Milwaukee horrible. He called Detroit corrupt. He denigrated Chicago police. His visit to Chicago tomorrow will no doubt be another attempt to distract from his flailing campaign, with as many lies as there are vacancies at Trump Tower.”
