politics
Notable controversy arose on Wednesday during former President Donald Trump’s appearance before a gathering of black journalists, largely as a result of sharp questions from ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott.
Scott pressed Trump over past statements about black leaders, his support of Jan. 6, 2021, rioters and hiring diverse staff – leading the previous president to repeatedly complain concerning the way he was treated.
“She was very rude,” the previous president said, pointing at Scott.
Trump's appearance at a gathering of the National Association of Black Journalists was marked by bad vibes from the beginning. Some members declined the Republican presidential candidate's invitation to even speak to the group, while others said it was their duty as journalists to query him.
The panel discussion – during which Trump was questioned by Scott, Harris Faulkner of Fox News Channel and Kadia Goba of Semafor – was delayed by greater than half an hour as a result of technical problems.
Scott, ABC News' chief congressional reporter and campaign correspondent, has worked at ABC News since 2016. Her notoriety increased recently when she anchored the network's live coverage of President Joe Biden's exit from the presidential race. In her first query, Scott referenced the controversy surrounding Trump's appearance, specifically citing several of Trump's past statements about black leaders, including his false accusations about former President Barack Obama's birthplace and discourteous remarks toward members of Congress, prosecutors and journalists.
“Now, if you ask black voters to vote for you, why should they trust you after you used language like that?” Scott asked.
Trump immediately attacked the questioner.
“I don't think I've ever been asked a question in such a horrible way, a first question,” he replied. “You don't even say 'Hello, how are you?' Are you on ABC? Because I think that's a fake news network.”
The initial furore was paying homage to Trump's first campaign debate in 2016, when then-Fox News Channel reporter Megyn Kelly brought up things he had said about women and asked, “Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?”
When Trump began to speak on Wednesday about what his administration had done for African Americans, Scott tried to interrupt him by saying, “Mr. President, I would appreciate it if you would answer the question about your rhetoric and explain why you believe black voters can trust you for another term.”
Trump expressed his approval, repeating his earlier claim that he’s one of the best president for blacks since Abraham Lincoln.
“Better than President Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act?” Scott asked.
Scott then asked if Trump supported supporters who claimed that his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was a DEI candidate, resulting in a back-and-forth between them concerning the meaning of that phrase – for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Do you think Vice President Kamala Harris is only on the ballot because she's black?” Scott asked, resulting in Trump's most eye-catching statement of the session, questioning Harris' ethnic background.
Scott also specifically asked about Trump's support for individuals who were convicted for his or her actions within the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“That day, 140 police officers were attacked,” she said. “Their injuries included broken bones, at least one officer lost an eye, one had broken ribs, two shattered discs, another had a stroke. Were the people who attacked those 140 officers … patriots who deserve a pardon?”
Trump turned the problem to the demonstrations of liberal supporters.
The discussion resulted in some confusion. Scott, the moderator, interrupted Faulkner's try to ask him concerning the design of Project 2025, arguing that Trump's time was limited.
After the meeting, Trump posted on his Truth Social account: “The questions were rude and mean, often in the form of a statement, but we DID IT!”
Kelly Arrington of Savanah State University, a journalism student who attended the conference, said, “I assumed Trump was just coming to win over more black voters… But unfortunately, in that conversation, he did not answer the questions that were asked of him.”
The session quickly became a subject of conversation on social media, with some praising Scott for asking tough questions and others saying Trump had been ambushed.
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