Trump questions Harris' race, clashes with journalists at NABJ

Trump visits the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention on Wednesday, July 31, 2024

"She was Indian all the way, and all of a sudden she made a turn and became a Black woman"

(Image credit: Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

published 1 August 2024

What happened

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday sat down for a raucous and frequently hostile town hall interview with Fox News' Harris Faulkner, Semafor's Kadia Goba and ABC's Rachel Scott during this year's National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention.

Kamala Harris "happened to turn Black," Trump said, after being asked whether the vice president was a "DEI hire." "She was Indian all the way, and all of a sudden she made a turn and became a Black woman." The Republican presidential nominee also complained about his "very rude introduction" at the event and insisted he would "absolutely" pardon Jan. 6 rioters who had assaulted police officers during the Capitol insurrection.

Trump's presence at the conference "sparked widespread backlash" from some attendees, USA Today said. His interview was "met with some boos, groans and heckling."

The former president was "clearly irritated by the tough questioning by some of the journalists," The New York Times said. The interview was billed as an "hourlong question-and-answer session," but began an hour late and ended "after less than 45 minutes," CNBC said. One of the panelists suggested that the Trump campaign was "calling time on the event."

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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.