Chicago, Illinois Local News
Trump appearing in Chicago later today for Q-and-A with Black journalists
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Crowds have begun to gather at the Hilton Chicago, where GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to appear later today for a question-and-answer session with a panel of Black journalists.
City trucks from the Department of Streets and Sanitation were in place to restrict access along Balbo Drive on the north side of the hotel, where the Trump motorcade was likely to use the hotel’s parking garage entrance when it arrived.
That included a small group of protesters who gathered by the hotel before moving across the street to the other side of Michigan Avenue.
Police on bicycles lined up along Michigan in front of the protesters, who chanted: “Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here,” accompanied by a brass band.
Hatem Abudayyeh, head of the Chicago-based U.S. Palestinian Community Network which organized some of the protesters, said they were protesting both Democrats and Republicans for being “complicit in the genocide against Palestinian people in Gaza. … Trump doesn’t get a pass, of course, especially because of his racism and his fascism and his reactionary policies and the policies of the Republican Party,”
Abudayyeh told the Sun-Times his group also plans to march in August during the Democratic National Convention, along with the Coalition to March on the DNC and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which also came Wednesday to protest Trumps appearance.
The decision by the National Association of Black Journalists to invite Trump was slammed by some members and attendees, and the conference’s co-chair, Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, announced on X that she was stepping down from her role.
In response to the controversy, NABJ President Ken Lemon issued a statement saying, in part: “While we acknowledge the concerns expressed by our members, we believe it is important for us to provide our members with the opportunity to hear directly from candidates and hold them accountable.”
CNN offered a live update from outside the hotel hours before Trump’s noon appearance, and the area outside the ballroom was jammed with long before the doors opened, both with journalists there to attend the event and others there to cover it.
“We were not expecting the National Association of Black Journalists to invite a racist to speak… say shame” speaker says across from downtown Hilton where President Donald Trump will be participating in a Q&A. pic.twitter.com/Pr2Ji0xvXt
— Tessa Weinberg (@Tessa_Weinberg) July 31, 2024
Event will be streamed live
Attendees had been advised by convention organizers to arrive at least an hour early to get into the International Ballroom at the hotel, 720 S. Michigan Ave. There is no overflow room, so once the room reaches capacity, online viewing is the only option.
With about half an hour before the event was scheduled to start, though, many empty seats remained in the ballroom.
The interview will be livestreamed via NABJ’s YouTube and Facebook accounts, and can be viewed here.
Backlash for appearance
Some NABJ members and members of the media say Trump’s treatment of Black reporters during his presidential term should disqualify him from participating. Others are upset about the timing of the announcement — two days before the five-day convention begins, and as many members were already traveling to Chicago for the event.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, will not be attending the convention due to logistics, including selecting her running mate, according to a source familiar with the discussions. Convention organizers also denied a request for Harris to appear for a virtual chat. The group has since said it is working with the campaign to arrange a virtual chat at some point after the convention.
Prior to dropping his re-election bid, President Joe Biden had confirmed he would appear at the NABJ convention.
Before Trump’s appearance, the Harris campaign issued a statement saying, in part:
“Ahead of Donald Trump’s conversation at NABJ today — let’s remember exactly who this man is. Not only does Donald Trump have a history of demeaning NABJ members and honorees who remain pillars of the Black press, he also has a history of attacking the media and working against the vital role the press play in our democracy.”
It continued: “We know Donald Trump is going to lie about his record and the real harm he’s caused Black communities at NABJ – and he must be called out.”
Other convention events canceled
Organizers of the convention were forced to reschedule or cancel events due to Trump’s appearance — citing security concerns.
That included a career fair, according to one of the convention’s organizers.
A Pew Research Center session about artificial intelligence and a Lumina Foundation event about higher education also were canceled. Three other conference sessions were rescheduled on Wednesday.
Contributing: Tina Sfondeles, David Struett, Tessa Weinberg, Mariah Woelfel.
The Republican presidential nominee was invited to appear at the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists.
The former president is set to appear in-person at the convention in Chicago’s Loop at noon on Wednesday for a conversation with journalists.
Some members of the NABJ say Trump’s treatment of Black reporters during his presidential term should disqualify him from participating.
Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee for president, will sit down for questions Wednesday at the NABJ convention.
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WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times staff
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