Trump Speaks At NABJ Conference In Chicago: Where To Watch Livestream

CHICAGO — Former President Donald Trump is due to begin an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago.

Kadia Goba of Semafor, Rachel Scott of ABC News and Harris Faulkner of Fox News are scheduled to question the 2024 Republican presidential nominee at noon. The event will be broadcast from Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.

Update: Trump Falsely Questions Harris' Race At Black Journalists Conference

Trump's booking has sparked intense debate within the organization, which invited both candidates to speak at its conference.

"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,” NABJ President Ken Lemon said in a statement.

Vice President Harris, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, was invited to attend but her staff told the association that she was unable to attend.

On Wednesday morning, Lemon said Harris' staff said she was unavailable to attend in person or remotely during the convention.

"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," said Lemon, a reporter at WSOC-TV in North Carolina. "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."

Association representatives are discussing a session between Harris and the organization, "either in person or virtually, at some point in September 2024," according to Lemon.

Karen Attiah, a Washington Post columnist, stepped down as co-chair of the 2024 convention in response to the announcement that Trump would appear there, wishing luck to his interviewers.

“While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors," Attiah said on social media, "I was not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format."

Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have attended NABJ conventions either as presidents or presidential candidates.

As president, Trump was condemned by leaders of the NABJ over his treatment of Black women journalists. In 2018, then-NABJ President Sarah Glover described his use of terms like “stupid,” “loser” and “nasty” as verbal abuse by the most powerful person in the free world.

"His dismissive comments toward journalists April Ryan, Abby Phillip and Yamiche Alcindor are appalling, irresponsible, and should be denounced," Glover said. And in 2020, then-NABJ President Dorothy Tucker said it had been "not only unnecessary but demeaning and inappropriate" for Trump to tell Alcindor, of NBC News, “don’t be threatening” during a news conference.

The interview will be livestreamed via NABJ’s YouTube channel and NABJ’s Facebook page, as well as on C-SPAN and C-SPAN Radio, with a live fact-checking from Politifact. The broadcast is scheduled to begin around 12:30 p.m. Central.