Trump called ‘grumpy, cruel, hard-of-hearing, race-baiting, a--hole’ after hostile NABJ interview

The National Association of Black Journalists had to beat back a revolt from its membership after inviting former president Donald Trump to a panel discussion at its annunal convention on Wednesday.

But the organization’s officers likely were vindicated when Trump self-destructed in a hostile, confrontational session in which he insulted them, questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ Black heritage while accusing her of using it as a prop, while also making several factually incorrect statements.

Several times, audience members laughed at Trump’s answers.

While many NABJ members insisted that the organization refuse to give Trump a platform — especially given his history of racist rhetoric — Trump’s appearance provided an argument for the other side.

“This NABJ interview is a great example of why the people who demand that we de-platform Trump are wrong. People should see this!” former Republican political consultant Tim Miller tweeted. “A grumpy, cruel, hard-of-hearing, race-baiting, asshole having to actually answer for his track record in an environment outside of his comfort zone.”

Meanwhile, the Never-Trump Lincoln Project tweeted a photo of the Hindenburg disaster.

In addition, the interview appears to have been cut off sooner than planned.

“I think we have to leave it there, the Trump team told us to wrap,” ABC reporter Rachel Scott said.

April Ryan, a former White House correspondent who was insulted by Trump during his four years in office, called out her colleagues only minutes into the program:

“Why would the NABJ allow him to be on stage? Rachel Scott is so respected and asked a good question. He calls her ‘rude!’ Ryan tweeted.

She added: “Trump came into our home, a Black Press advocacy convention, and insulted us in our face. What is worse he was invited to do this by NABJ leadership. Shame!”

Trump claimed Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president and the de facto Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.

“So I’ve known her a long time, indirectly, not directly, very much,” Trump said. “And she was always of Indian heritage, and she 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.

“So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black? 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 went, she became a Black, just to be clear, somebody should look into that too.”

Trump’s appearance at the organization’s annual gathering immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, and his lie about former President Barack Obama not being born in the United States.

As he has many times, Trump insisted he has been “the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”

“I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country, including employment, including opportunity zones, with Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, which is one of the greatest programs ever for Black workers and Black entrepreneurs,” he said. “I’ve done so much, and, you know, and I say this, historically Black colleges and universities were out of money. They were stone cold broke, and I saved them. I gave them long-term financing, and nobody else was doing it.”

“Trump signed the FUTURE Act in 2019. The act ensured that the original science, technology, engineering and math funding for HBCUs from then-President George W. Bush’s 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act would continue to be awarded without having to go back to Congress annually. The act ensured that HBCUs would receive an annual $255 million in STEM funding for the next 10 years.

It’s an exaggeration, however, to say that “nobody else was doing it.” In the House, Democrats were unanimous in their support, while two more Republicans voted against the bill than for it.

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