Former President Donald Trump’s scheduled appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention has forced one of its leaders to jump ship.
On Tuesday, co-chair Karen Attiah announced on social media she was stepping down ahead of the former president’s planned Q&A on Wednesday in Chicago.
Attiah, an editor and columnist for The Washington Post, said a “variety” of factors influenced her decision, but confirmed she was not consulted about giving Trump a “platform” at the gathering.
Monday night’s announcement of Trump’s sitdown interview during the convention’s opening day has caused a firestorm both in and out of the 49-year-old nonprofit organization.
The National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents over 250 Black-owned newspapers and media companies, condemned the decision on Tuesday, pointing to Trump’s “divisive rhetoric and actions [that] have harmed marginalized communities, particularly the Black community.”
On Instagram, “New York Live” host Jacque Reid wrote that she “could not be more disappointed by this.”
“I know NABJ has a history of inviting all presidential candidates, but this is not the year for that. Not with this man,” Reid said. “We need to be bombarding the world with how dangerous he is, not playing into news media efforts trying to normalize him and participating in efforts to put him back in office.”
Roland Martin, a former CNN anchor and NABJ Hall of Fame inductee, called the decision “an abomination” and said he found it troubling that no Black male journalists were invited to question “serial liar” Trump.
ABC News congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner and Semafor politics editor Kadia Goba were announced as the moderators of Wednesday’s conversation.
Trump’s appearance at the NABJ convention marks the first time a GOP presidential candidate has accepted such an invitation since George W. Bush spoke before the 2004 Unity: Journalists of Color coalition.
In their announcement, NABJ acknowledged that Vice President Kamala Harris “was also invited to participate in this year’s convention” but that her confirmation was “pending.”
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