Donald Trump “bombed” during a question-and-answer session with the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago on Wednesday, according to those who watched the event unfold in person and online.
Trump has struggled to gain the media’s favor since the Republican National Convention as running mate J.D. Vance became the topic of conversation among political analysts on cable news. Meanwhile, with President Joe Biden stepping down from the Democratic ticket, enthusiasm has boomed for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Speaking to MSNBC after the questionnaire unfolded, NBC News’ Jonathan Allen noted Trump began the discussion with a combative style, attacking ABC News reporter Rachel Scott. He thinks Trump was playing to his base on the dime of the NABJ.
“But this is what Donald Trump wanted out of today. He has got, playing to his base, trying to push up energy and excitement from white males in the MAGA movement. He wanted this fight with Black journalists,” he claimed.
Michael Hardaway, former aide to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) attacked the NABJ saying that they should have anticipated this would happen.
“His goal, to Jon’s point, is to go in front of an audience of Black people to play and to insult them to play to his MAGA base on the right,” he said. “It’s horrifically insane. Those same people, who are descendants of childhood slavery in America, he also said that his legal trials were the worst thing to happen in American history. And so, this was a horrific situation that was completely preventable.”
Republican Brendan Buck, however, said that whatever Trump’s purpose was, the video was a gift to Kamala Harris. Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky noted that the misogyny Trump displayed toward Scott would damage him with women.
Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff said that one piece of the interview revealed how willing Trump was to throw J.D. Vance under the bus by refusing to say if Vance would be “ready on Day 1.”
“Let’s up the game from weirdo to racist piece of garbage,” said one commentator, referring to the comments from Democrats that Vance and Republicans are “weird.”
Amber Payne, publisher of The Emancipator, pointed out that when ABC’s Rachel Scott came out with the “elephant in the room” question about his racist comments, Trump refused to answer and attacked her instead.
CNN reporter Amir Vera noted that Trump came out to almost no applause from the audience.
CNN host Sara Sidner posted her own video of the crowd, saying, “This went sideways immediately.”
Podcaster BrooklynDad wrote, “Trump just destroyed HIMSELF at this NABJ Convention when asked why Black people should vote for him when he’s been so disrespectful…
Software engineer Alex Cole posted, “It’s very evident Donald Trump doesn’t respect black women.”
