Trump questions Harris' race at Black journalists convention

• The NABJ has historically invited candidates to the annual conference, but Trump's appearance prompted discomfort for some members.
• ABC News' Rachel Scott, Semafor's Kadia Goba and Fox News' Harris Faulkner moderated the interview.

Driving the news: Trump falsely suggested that Harris, who attended an HBCU, joined a historically Black sorority and was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, "happened to turn Black."

• "She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage," he said of Harris when asked about right-wing attacks framing her as a DEI hire. "I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black."
• "I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?" he questioned.
• He continued: "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."

The other side: "The hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power and inflict his harmful Project 2025 agenda on the American people," the Harris campaign said in a statement.

Friction point: Asked why Black voters should trust him after past attacks on Black journalists and elected officials, the former president slammed Scott's question as "nasty."

• He accused Scott of asking her question — the first he received on the panel — in "such a horrible manner," characterizing ABC as a "fake news network."
• He referenced Scott's question multiple times, calling her "very rude" and "this woman."
• "I think it's a very rude introduction," he said. "I don't know why you would do something like that."

Zoom out: Trump wrote on Truth Social before the event, which was slated to begin at 12pm CT but began over an hour late, that Harris was set to appear over Zoom, which he said they were told was not an option.

• But once he took the stage, he accused the organization of inviting him "under false pretense," claiming he was told his opponent would be present, and slammed the organization for being "a half an hour late," saying they couldn't "get their equipment working."

• Harris was offered an in-person interview but was not given the option to appear virtually when she became the presumptive nominee, a source previously told Axios. Her campaign and NABJ organizers could not agree on a time.
• NABJ is "currently in conversation with the Harris for President campaign team to schedule a Q&A session between Vice President Harris and NABJ, either in person or virtually" in September 2024, a statement from the group released Wednesday read.

Catch up quick: Trump's appearance as a featured speaker prompted longtime Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah to step down from her role as co-chair of the convention, citing "a variety of factors" but noting she was "not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format."

• The GOP nominee requested a different format for the conversation — a rally and then some questions — but NABJ president Ken Lemon told Axios the organization held firm that Wednesday's discussion in Chicago would be a panel.

Go deeper: Trump counter-programs Harris with NABJ appearance

Editor's note: The story is update with a statement from the Harris campaign.