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

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."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

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."