5 things Trump said in a combative interview at Black journalists’ conference

Donald Trump’s interview at a conference of Black journalists was already generating controversy. Then he took the stage.

Over the course of a half an hour, the former president repeatedly lambasted the moderators, falsely questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ race and renewed a vow to pardon Jan. 6 defendants. Attendees of the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago gasped, interjected and offered sparse applause as they watched the live interview unfold.

Here are five of his most notable comments during the interview.

Trump attacks Harris’ identity: ‘Is she Indian or is she Black?’

When ABC News’ Rachel Scott asked Trump whether he thought it was acceptable for some of his Republican colleagues to label Harris a “DEI hire,” Trump kept demanding Scott define DEI — even after Scott responded “diversity, equity and inclusion.”

And then Trump attacked Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican descent, over her identity.

“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now, she wants to be known as Black,” Trump said. “So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”

“I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person,” he added, suggesting someone should “look into” Harris’ identity.

Scott pushed back, citing the fact that Harris attended a historically Black university, and directed Trump back to the original question about whether he believes Harris was a “DEI” pick. He replied: “I really don’t know, could be, could be. There are some.”

‘Rude,’ ‘nasty,’ ‘hostile’ and a ‘disgrace’: Trump immediately insults moderator

Right after Trump shook Scott’s hand and took a seat on stage, he lashed out at her for asking the first question of the panel: Why Black voters should trust the former president when he has used language such as “animal,” “rabid” and “loser” to describe Black politicians and journalists.

“Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, the first question. You don’t even say, ‘Hello. How are you?’” Trump said. “Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network.”

As he discussed his record, Trump continued to insult Scott, saying she gave him a “very rude introduction” and questioning “why you would do something like that.”

“I think it’s a very nasty question,” Trump said.

He claimed he has been “the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln” before repeating that Scott’s question was “hostile” and a “disgrace.”

The Republican nominee has drawn rebuke for using similar language in previous exchanges with other Black women journalists, particularly as president in 2018, when he called White House correspondent April Ryan a “loser” and told CNN’s Abby Phillip, “you ask a lot of stupid questions.”

Trump doesn’t say whether JD Vance is ‘ready on day one’

Trump didn’t directly answer a question from Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner about whether his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, was ready to serve as president.

“Historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact,” Trump said. “I mean, virtually no impact … Virtually never has it mattered.”

The response was far from a rousing endorsement of his running mate, even as the former president praised Vance for his advocacy for the “working man and woman.”

Trump also indicated that he expected the wave of attention given to Vance’s past comments as part of the process of picking a running mate. Several of Vance’s past remarks, including his denigration of “childless cat ladies” and suggestion that people with children should have more political power, have been disavowed by Democrats and even some Republicans. Trump said Vance’s take was not the position of his campaign, instead praising Vance for being “family oriented.”

But Trump was keen to emphasize that, eventually, attention would come back his way.

“You're voting for the president, and you can have a vice president who is outstanding in every way,” he added. “And I think JD is, I think that all of them would have been, but you're not voting that way. You're voting for the president.”

Trump renews vow to pardon Jan. 6 defendants

Trump repeated his vow to pardon Jan. 6 defendants — and this time said he would specifically pardon those who assaulted police “if they’re innocent.” Reminded that many of them had been convicted of the offense, including more than 130 who have pleaded guilty to the charge, Trump said they had been found guilty by a “very tough system.”

It was the most explicit promise Trump has made about the range of defendants he might spring from prison if he takes office — a group that now appears to include some of the most notoriously violent actors that day. But Trump wasn’t done.

Trump claimed that the justice system ignored protesters who became violent in racial justice demonstrations and riots over the summer of 2020. Though courts have debated whether prosecutors have pursued both sets of offenders with equal vigor, Trump’s own appointees have handed down stiff sentences to Jan. 6 defendants and have emphasized that the Capitol riot — a direct attack on the transfer of presidential power — stands apart from other forms of civil unrest.

Trump says undocumented immigrants are ‘taking Black jobs’

Asked why he chose to speak at the NABJ conference, Trump said his message was to “stop people from invading our country.” He claimed those crossing the U.S.-Mexico border are taking “Black jobs” — repeating a term he invoked at the June presidential debate, which some critics condemned as racist.

“A lot of the journalists in this room are Black,” Trump said, prompting laughter and gasps from the audience. “I will tell you that coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs.”

Scott asked him to explain what a “Black job” is.

“A Black job is anybody that has a job, that’s what it is,” Trump responded, before saying of undocumented immigrants: “They’re taking the employment away from Black people.”

Trump has repeatedly targeted his warnings about immigration to Black and Latino voters as he seeks to gain their support.