In a controversial sit-down interview with political journalists at the annual National Association of Black Journalists convention, former President Donald Trump did not seem familiar with the death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was shot by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy earlier this month.
Trump also refused to clearly answer if the officer in that case, Sean Grayson, should receive immunity from prosecution. Grayson has been charged with murder by local authorities.
The event Wednesday, moderated by Rachel Scott, an ABC News senior congressional correspondent; Harris Faulkner, anchor of “The Faulkner Focus” and co-host of “Outnumbered” on Fox News; and Kadia Goba, a politics reporter at Semafor, started nearly an hour late.
Goba asked Trump whether Grayson, the officer who shot and killed Massey, deserved qualified immunity. Trump said in a rally last week in Minnesota he would give officers federal immunity so they can “do their jobs.”
“Why should an officer like that have immunity, in your opinion?” Goba asked.
“I don’t know the exact case but I saw something. And it didn’t look good to me,” Trump said. “You are talking with the water right?” Trump asked, while seeming unsure if Grayson was charged.
When Goba asked again, Trump avoided a clear answer about whether Grayson would receive immunity under his policy proposal, though Trump suggested he didn’t approve of Grayson’s actions.
“Well he might not, it depends on what happens. I am talking about people much different than that. We need people to protect ourselves,” Trump said. “In this particular case, that did not look good to me, I did not like it. I did not like it at all.”
Trump’s comments on Massey come about a week after body-camera footage was released showing the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy shooting and killing her as she held a pot of water in her kitchen.
President Joe Biden released a statement the day the footage was released by Illinois law enforcement.
“Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today. Sonya called the police because she was concerned about a potential intruder,” Biden said.
“When we call for help, all of us as Americans — regardless of who we are or where we live — should be able to do so without fearing for our lives. Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.”
Vice President Kamala Harris called the family days after footage was released.
On July 6, Grayson and an unidentified deputy responded to Massey’s home after she called 911 to report a suspected intruder.
The footage shows that Massey picked up a pot of hot water from the stove at one point.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she said.
Grayson raised his gun toward Massey, threatening to shoot her. She crouched down, seemingly in fear. Grayson fired three shots at her, striking her in the face.
Grayson has been charged with first-degree murder in Massey’s case.
The decision to give Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, a platform at the convention in Chicago — a major event attended by thousands of Black journalists — was widely criticized, including by NABJ members and convention attendees.
Karen Attiah, a Washington Post editor and columnist, said after Trump’s Q&A was announced that she would leave her role as convention co-chair.
“I have decided to step down as co-chair from this year’s #NABJ24 convention in Chicago. To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck. For everyone else, I’m looking forward to meeting and reconnecting with all of you in the Windy City,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format.”
The NABJ president said in a statement that the organization has always invited presidential candidates to the convention.
“I consulted with a group of our Founders and past NABJ Presidents Tuesday on-site in Chicago, and as a group, we affirmed that the invitation to former President Trump was in line with NABJ’s usual practices since 1976. It has always been our policy to ensure that candidates know that an invitation is not an endorsement. We also agreed that while this race is much different — and contentious — so are the consequences,” read the statement from NABJ President Ken Lemon.
“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.”
Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee who would be the first Black woman to be president if she wins in November, will not address the convention. NABJ reportedly rejected Harris’ offer to appear at the event virtually. Lemon said in his statement that Harris’ “team informed us she was unable to attend the Convention.”