Tipsheet

Did Trump Hurt or Help Himself Attending the National Association of Black Journalists' Conference?

Donald Trump stopped the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, Illinois, which led to much consternation among liberals and members of this organization. Karen Attiah, a Washington Post editor, resigned as co-chair of the conference in protest. Audio difficulties led to the event being delayed by a half hour, but the event has become a Rorschach test: liberals think Trump imploded. At the same time, conservatives felt it was gutsy for the former president to sit down with what quickly became a hostile press event. It started rocky, but Trump was able to drive home his key points, especially on immigration. 

There was also a flurry of fake news like the event being held up by Trump because he didn’t want to be fact-checked live. It was due to an audio issue. Some also accused Trump of leaving early because the interview was so bad. It started late, and Trump had a hard stop due to a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, later that day. 

It was vintage Trump. The remarks about Kamala being an Indian and becoming black are funny, but we shouldn’t waste too much energy on the vice president's race. The larger point is that Kamala will say and do anything to get elected, even if it means shameless pandering about her race. In 2016, The Associated Press said Harris was the first Indian elected to the U.S. Senate.

The event was likely net zero regarding hurting or helping Trump. It’s a venue where no one liked the man, but it provided an outlet to showcase his ‘unafraid’ persona and show his willingness to fight the opposition media. It provided some funny soundbites and rehashed the media’s nasty reputation, but let’s refocus on Harris’ record.