Vance brands Harris a 'coward'; Trump dinged for 'attacks and insults' as campaigns war after fiery event
The Trump and Harris campaigns mixed it up on X Wednesday afternoon after the former president's heated appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, and the Republican vice presidential nominee blasted Vice President Harris as a "coward."
"Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency, while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in," Harris campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler said in a statement after the event.
"Today’s tirade is simply a taste of the chaos and division that has been a hallmark of Trump’s MAGA rallies this entire campaign," Tyler continued. "It’s also exactly what the American people will see from across the debate stage as Vice President Harris offers a vision of opportunity and freedom for all Americans. All Donald Trump needs to do is stop playing games and actually show up to the debate on September 10."
Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, fired back, saying the former president "walked right into the NABJ conference and showed he had the courage to take tough questions, while Kamala Harris continues to hide from any scrutiny or unfriendly media like the coward she is."
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During the event, Trump clashed with ABC News reporter Rachel Scott, accusing her of asking a "nasty question" and referring to the Disney-owned network as "fake news."
Trump participated in a Q&A with Scott, Semafor reporter Kadia Goba and Fox News Channel anchor Harris Faulkner. The event caused ripples before it began because many Black journalists objected to Trump even being invited in the first place. Once it began, Scott kicked things off by "addressing the elephant in the room."
"A lot of people did not think it was appropriate for you to be here today," Scott said. "You have pushed false claims about some of your rivals, from Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama, saying that they were not born in the United States, which is not true. You have told four congresswomen of color who were American citizens to go back to where they came from.
"You have used words like animal and rabid to describe Black district attorneys. You attack Black journalists, calling them a loser, saying the questions that they ask are, quote, stupid and racist. You've had dinner with a White supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort. So, my question, sir, now that you are asking black supporters to vote for you, why should Black voters trust you after you have used language like that?"
Trump shot back at Scott, saying he's "never been asked a question in such a horrible manner."
"I love the Black population of this country," Trump said. "I've done so much for the Black population of this country, including employment, including opportunity zones, with Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, which is one of the greatest programs ever for Black workers and Black entrepreneurs. I've done so much, you know. And I say this, historically Black colleges and universities were out of money.
"And let me go a step further," Trump added. "I was invited here, and I was told my opponent, whether it was Biden or Kamala. I was told my opponent was going to be here. It turned out my opponent isn't here. You invited me on under false pretense.
"And then you were half an hour late, just so we understand. I have too much respect for you to be late. They couldn't get their equipment working or something."
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"Mr. President, I would love if you could answer the question," Scott said, again asking why Black voters should trust him for another term.
"I think it’s a very nasty question," Trump shot back. "I have answered the question. I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln."
Former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended NABJ conventions in the past, either as presidents or presidential candidates.
Trump posted on Truth Social following the NABJ event, saying of Scott, "The questions were Rude and Nasty, often in the form of a statement, but we CRUSHED IT!"
Fox News Digital's Brian Flood and Landon Mion contributed to this report.