'That is illegal in every state': Here are the 5 wildest moments from Trump’s NABJ interview

31 July 2024

Former President Donald Trump just had a very uncomfortable hour at a National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) event in Chicago, Illinois, in which his attempt to communicate his message to Black voters may have severely backfired.

Trump's campaign previously agreed to do a live, hour-long interview with ABC News' Rachel Scott, Semafor's Kadia Goba and Fox News' Harris Faulkner. But the interview started on a rocky note, and Trump repeatedly sparred with the journalists on the panel on both the toughness of the questions and about a perceived lack of respect from Scott in particular.

Here are five of the most eye-popping moments from Trump's NABJ appearance:

1. Trump calls ABC a "fake news network" when confronted about racist statements

Almost immediately after the former president was introduced, Scott confronted Trump about his past statements directed at Black elected officials — like telling natural-born American congresswomen of color in "The Squad" to "go back" to where they came from — and calling Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg an "animal."

The ex-president then snapped at Scott when she asked why Black voters should trust him.

"Well, I don't think I have ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, first question," Trump said.

"You don't even say 'Hello, how are you.' Are you with ABC? Because I think they are a fake news network, a terrible network," he added, which prompted audible outrage from the audience.

2. Trump suggesting Vice President Kamala Harris only recently identified as Black

One familiar line of attack on Harris from Republicans is that she is a "DEI hire," in reference to "diversity, equity and inclusion" policies aimed at diversifying workplaces. When Trump was asked directly whether he thought that was an appropriate thing to say about the first Black, Asian and female vice president in history, he first hemmed and hawed about the term "DEI" before eventually suggesting Harris was lying about her ethnicity.

"She was always of Indian heritage, and was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black, until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black," Trump said of Harris, who is a member of the historically black Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. "Is she Indian, or is she Black?"

"She has always identified as a Black woman," Scott answered.

"I respect either one but she obviously doesn't. Because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person," Trump continued. "And I think somebody should look into that too when you ask and continue in a very hostile, nasty tone."

3. Trump suggesting that babies are being routinely murdered after they're born

At one point, the Q&A turned to the topic of Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who Trump selected as his 2024 running mate at the Republican National Convention earlier this month. Goba mentioned that Vance has made derogatory remarks about women without children — and acknowledged herself as among that group — and also about divorced Americans, with Goba pointing to Trump and saying "like yourself." She then asked Trump if Republicans were getting "too judgey about people's lives."

"The Democrat Party is really the one that has the problem," Trump said, using a decades-old slur to describe the Democratic Party. "I think they are radical on abortion because they are allowing abortion in the ninth month, they're allowing the death of a baby after the baby is born."

"Sir, that is illegal in every state in the country," Goba said.

4. Trump saying he would pardon January 6 rioters who attacked police

During the exchange, Trump was asked at one point if he still planned to follow through on his previous campaign promise to pardon vast swaths of rioters convicted for various crimes related to the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Trump has previously communicated to Micki Witthoeft – the mother of slain January 6 participant Ashli Babbitt – that inmates held in the Washington, D.C. jail are "on his mind" and that "when he gets in, they'll get out."

Scott asked Trump repeatedly about if he specifically would pardon rioters who attacked police officers during the siege on the U.S. Capitol, even though the ex-president tried to pivot to Black Lives Matter protesters in cities like Portland, Oregon who destroyed property.

"Absolutely I would," Trump said. "If they're innocent, I would pardon them."

"They've been convicted," Scott pushed back.

5. Trump resurrecting his "Black jobs" remark from the June debate

When Harris Faulkner asked the former president what his "message" was to the NABJ, he went right into a rant about "millions and millions" of undocumented immigrants coming across the border who are supposedly taking "Black jobs."

This prompted Scott to ask: "What exactly is a Black job, sir?"

"A Black job is anybody that has a job," Trump said as the room laughed at him.

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