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On July 31, former U.S. President Donald Trump was interviewed by ABC News reporter Rachel Scott at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Chicago. In it, the duo clashed right at the beginning:
"You've had dinner with a White supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort. So, my question, sir, now that you were asking Black supporters to vote for you, why should Black voters trust you after you have used language like that?" Rachel Scott asked Trump.
In response, the Republican presidential nominee shot back at her by saying:
"I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don’t even say ‘Hello, how are you.’ Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network. I think it’s disgraceful that I came here in good spirits. I love the Black population of this country; I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country."
Not only that but Donald Trump claimed that Rachel Scott’s question was “nasty” and labeled her as “rude.”
The interview has now gone viral and is garnering diverse reactions from netizens. For instance, X user Chris Wozney commented on @AesPolitics1’s post on the same by writing:
“All she did was ask him real questions and Donald couldn't handle it.”
Several others joined in the conversation on the platform. The majority heaped praises on Rachel Scott for her journalism skills.
“She held her own and took one for the team. How did she not tear into his a*s… She’s a true professional and is now a global star. She deserves it!!” a person wrote.
“This is a Rachel Scott appreciate tweet. Thank you for showing the country what real journalism looks like,” one person wrote.
“It's not every day you get verbally attacked by a former President while doing your job. This journalist was grace under fire and the epitome of professionalism. She deserves a raise for sitting through that train wreck with such composure,” another person wrote.
Others weighed in claiming that the NABJ convention interview ruined Donald Trump’s chances of being reelected as the U.S. President and damaged his political reputation.
“She literally ended Trump’s political career,” a netizen wrote.
“And so ends the reign of Trump,” one netizen wrote.
“Trump’s career is done. This election is over and the Democrats are going to win in an enormous landslide. Leger had Harris +7 against Trump today,” another netizen wrote.
One feared for Rachel Scott’s safety while another thought Trump’s response “sunk” him rather than Scott’s questions.
“The @FBI should offer her protection asap. You never know what could happen with all those crazy MAGA people out there,” an individual wrote.
“His answers sunk him, not her questions,” another individual wrote.
Exploring the career of Rachel Scott in the wake of the explosive Donald Trump interview
Rachel Scott is a senior congressional correspondent and lead campaign correspondent for ABC News. She reports from Capitol Hill for programs and shows such as Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir, Nightline, 20/20, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and more. She divides her time among ABC News Live, ABC News Digital, and ABC Audio.
So far, Rachel Scott has interviewed global political figures including Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, and Vladimir Putin, among others. She came to the limelight when she questioned the Russian President on not wanting a “fair political fight” and abusing human rights.
The Southern California native joined ABC News in 2016 as a production associate and worked full-time for ABC News Live and GMA Digital. At the same time, she was also a weekend general assignment reporter for WTNH-TV, an affiliate of the network in New Haven, Connecticut.
Rachel Scott has been at the center of live correspondence for various political events in the USA in recent years including the January 2021 Capitol Hill attack, Trump’s second impeachment trial, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, negotiations over the 2021 historic bipartisan infrastructure package, and the 2022 passage gun safety legislation.
The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism graduate has also served as a White House correspondent, a Washington D.C. correspondent, a COVID-19 pandemic reporter, and more. She also traveled across the country during the 2020 presidential campaign trail.
Scott is the recipient of several prestigious accolades in her field including the Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award, 2024 Washingtonian's Outstanding Journalist in Broadcast Television, two-time Peabody Awards, and multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards. She was also the 2020 NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year and appeared on Forbes’ "30 under 30" list that same year.
Rachel is also associated with the New York Press Club Journalism, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Institute for Health Care Management.
Exploring Donald Trump’s latest interview with Rachel Scott
Donald Trump attended Wednesday’s Q&A session at Chicago’s NABJ convention with Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, and Semafor reporter Kadia Goba. Scott began the interaction by "addressing the elephant in the room."
"A lot of people did not think it was appropriate for you to be here today. 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,” Rachel addressed Trump.
She continued by saying:
“You’ve told four congresswomen of color who were American citizens to go back to where they came from. You’ve used words like ‘animal’ and ‘rabbit’ to describe Black attorneys. You've attacked Black journalists, calling them a loser, saying the questions that they asked are 'stupid and racist.'"
Rachel Scott then moved on to ask the Truth Social owner despite everything, why should African-American voters support him. Trump did not directly respond to her question, but instead said that the approach was “horrible” before tagging ABC as a “fake news network” and the interviewer as “very rude.”
He also claimed to have made a significant contribution to the development of the Black community in the USA.
"I don’t know why you would do something like that… 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 under false pretense," Trump alleged.
He also said that it was a “nasty question” which he answered, claiming he has been the “best President for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
Besides, she rebuked Scott for being unpunctual, and accused her of using a “hostile” and disgraceful tone, when specifically asked about his labeling of Kamala Harris as a “DEI” candidate.
Following the event, Trump took to Truth Social and alleged that the questions were “often in the form of statements” and doubled down on his previous remarks while adding that he “crushed” the interview.
