Editor's Note: Former President Donald Trump's conversation at the NABJ convention in Chicago is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. and will be streamed live in the player above once it begins.
The president of the National Association of Black Journalists has released a statement after the association made the controversial decision to invite former President and Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump to speak at the organization's convention this week in Chicago, a move that led a convention co-chair to step down from her role.
In his statement, NABJ President Ken Lemon defended the organization's decision to invite Trump to speak, saying it was "in line" with convention practices dating back to 1976. Lemon said Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic Nominee for President, had also been invited to speak.
"It has always been our policy to ensure that candidates know that an invitation is not an endorsement," Lemon's statement said. 'We also agreed that while this race is much different — and contentious — so are the consequences."
The full statement from Lemon can be found below:
NABJ has been in talks with both the Democratic and Republican parties since January. NABJ was in contact with Vice President Kamala Harris’ team for an in-person panel before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July.
However, we were advised by her campaign that her schedule could not accommodate this request. The last update we were provided was that Harris would not be available in person or virtually during our Convention. We are in talks about virtual options in the future and are still working to reach an agreement.
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I consulted with a group of our Founders and past NABJ Presidents Tuesday on-site in Chicago, and as a group, we affirmed that the invitation to former President Trump was in line with NABJ’s usual practices since 1976. It has always been our policy to ensure that candidates know that an invitation is not an endorsement. We also agreed that while this race is much different — and contentious — so are the consequences.
While we acknowledge the concerns expressed by our members, we believe it is important for us to provide our members with the opportunity to hear directly from candidates and hold them accountable. We also want to provide our members with the facts.
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Trump is scheduled to appear at the convention, taking place at the Hilton Hotel at 720 S. Michigan Ave., at 12 p.m. Wednesday as part of a conversation with moderators Rachel Scott of ABC News; Harris Faulker of Fox News and Kadia Goba Semafor, a post from the NABJ said.
The event, open to convention attendees only, is described by organizers as a "Q&A with political journalists before an audience of registered convention attendees that will concentrate on the most pressing issues facing the Black community." It will be fact-checked live by PolitiFact, and is scheduled to last one hour, organizers said.
No questions from the audience will be taken, the event website said. It will be streamed live in the player above and on the NBC Chicago streaming channel once it begins.
“We look forward to our attendees hearing from former President Trump on the critical issues our members and their audiences care about most,” Lemon said in a separate statement about the event. “While NABJ does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we understand the serious work of our members, and welcome the opportunity for them to ask the tough questions that will provide the truthful answers Black Americans want and need to know.”
At least two groups are planning to hold protests ahead of the event downtown, according to press releases from differing organizations. Traffic on Chicago streets may be impacted.
Trump's appearance at the NABJ has sparked mixed reactions from within the organization, as convention co-chair, Washington Post reporter Karen Attiah announced she would step down from her role, saying she wasn't consulted about the decision to invite Trump to speak.
"To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck," Attiah wrote in a social media post announcing her decision to resign her position. "For everyone else, I'm looking forward to meeting and reconnecting with all of you in the Windy City."
Attiah went on to say her decision was influenced by a "variety of factors," and that she was "not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format."
Attiah's announcement Tuesday came several hours before a source familiar with Vice President Kamala Harris' plans said that Harris would not attend the NABJ convention because of conflicts with her schedule, a report from CNBC said. According to a post from the NABJ, Harris has offered to address the NABJ virtually, post-convention.
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.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a harsh critic of the former president, said Tuesday 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.”
The appearance from Donald Trump comes weeks away from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, scheduled for Aug. 19-22, where President Joe Biden is set to make a keynote speech.
