Donald Trump scales back black pastor endorsement event to a private meeting

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

published 30 November 2015

After Donald Trump's campaign announced he would receive the endorsements of 100 black pastors, over 100 black religious leaders responded in an Ebony op-ed urging their colleagues to abstain from any such endorsement. Now, Trump's campaign has considerably scaled back what had looked to be a major event for their candidate.

While the 100 pastors are still meeting with Trump on Monday, some have since said they're unsure if they support the candidate. Moreover, the meeting will no longer be a news conference but an "informal meet-and-greet" — behind closed doors.

"This is not a press event, but a private meeting, after which, a number of attendees are expected to endorse Mr. Trump's campaign for president," Trump's spokeswoman explained in an email to The New York Times. Darrell Scott, an Ohio pastor who put together the event, added that the initial reports that the meeting would be a splashy event were the result of a "miscommunication on my part."

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Recently, Trump came under harsh criticism for suggesting that a Black Lives Matter protestor who was punched and kicked at one of his campaign rallies in Alabama "maybe [...] should've been roughed up."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.