N.A.A.C.P. Won't Invite Trump to Its National Convention, Breaking 116-Year Tradition
The N.A.A.C.P. will not invite President Trump to its national convention, breaking from a 116-year tradition of inviting the president to the marquee event of the largest and oldest U.S. civil rights organization.
Derrick Johnson, the organization's president, said in a statement that the decision was motivated by Mr. Trump's policies, which he said had set back civil rights.
'Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights,' Mr. Johnson said. He added: 'The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections; he has illegally turned the military on our communities, and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy.'
The move marked a new low in the relationship between the N.A.A.C.P., which advocates for the rights of African Americans and other minority groups, and Mr. Trump. He has never attended the convention while serving as president, and the organization has vigorously confronted him in high-profile legal battles and symbolic statements.
The acrimony has intensified in the second Trump administration, as Mr. Trump has cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government. The N.A.A.C.P. and affiliated organizations have been heavily involved in lawsuits seeking to undo Mr. Trump's executive orders banning D.E.I. practices.
In a statement, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, said that 'The N.A.A.C.P. isn't advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country.'
Mr. Johnson noted in his statement that there is a long history of both Democratic and Republican presidents attending the convention: President Harry S. Truman spoke at the event in 1947 — a year before he signed an executive order desegregating the military. President Dwight D. Eisenhower attended in 1954 and praised the landmark Supreme Court decision banning public school racial segregation in Brown v. Board of Education. President Ronald Reagan received a cool reception when he spoke at the convention in 1981, vowing in his speech that 'we will not retreat on the nation's commitment to equal treatment of all citizens.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How else could Iran retaliate over the ongoing Israeli strikes targeting the country?
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As Israel pounds Iran with airstrikes targeting military facilities and its nuclear sites, officials in Tehran have proposed a variety of steps the Islamic Republic could take outside of launching retaliatory missile barrages. Those proposals mirror those previously floated by Iran in confrontations with either Israel or the United States in the last few decades. They include disrupting maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, potentially leaving the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and attacks by allied militants. Here's a look at what those options could mean — both to Iran and the wider Middle East. Targeting the Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which some 20% of all oil traded globally passes. The strait is in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, which at its narrowest point is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. The width of the shipping lane in either direction is only 3 kilometers (2 miles). Anything affecting it ripples through global energy markets, potentially raising the price of crude oil. That then trickles down to consumers through what they pay for gasoline and other oil products. There has been a wave of attacks on ships attributed to Iran since 2019, following President Donald Trump's decision to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposing crushing sanctions on Tehran. U.S. forces routinely travel through the strait, despite sometimes-tense encounters with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet conducts those operations, known as freedom of navigation missions, to ensure the waterway remains open to business. Iran views those passages as challenging its sovereignty — as if it operated off the coast of the U.S. Since the Israeli attacks began, Iranian officials have repeatedly raised blocking the strait — which likely would draw an immediate American response. Withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Experts fear Tehran could respond to the strike by deciding to fully end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, abandon the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and rush toward a bomb. As a member of the treaty, Iran is obligated to explain any radioactive traces outside of declared sites and to provide assurances that they are not being used as part of a nuclear weapons program. Iran insists its program is peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA assess Iran hasn't had an organized military nuclear program since 2003. There is precedent for the concern. North Korea said it withdrew from the treaty in 2003 and tested a nuclear weapon in 2006. However, again, if Iran withdrew from the treaty, it could draw the U.S. into the fight, something Tehran so far has been seeking to avoid. Asymmetric attacks by militants Iran could encourage more asymmetric attacks, targeting Jewish tourists, synagogues or Israeli diplomatic missions as it has done in the past. However, it's been a rough few years for those forces. Iran's allies, the self-described 'Axis of Resistance,' have been severely hurt by ongoing Israeli attacks since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, particularly Lebanon's Hezbollah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran has long used those groups as both an asymmetrical way to attack Israel and as a shield against a direct assault. Iraqi groups backed by Iran so far haven't become involved, leaving just Yemen's Houthi rebels as the only member of the axis to launch attacks on Israel since its campaign against Iran began.
New York Times
7 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jordan Klepper Calls Trump Out for His ‘Irish Exit' at G7
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night's highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. 'Stay Tuned' President Trump left the G7 summit in Canada a day earlier than planned, flying back to Washington to deal with the Iran-Israel conflict, according to the White House. On Tuesday's 'Daily Show,' Jordan Klepper called Trump out for his 'Irish exit.' 'Now, this is an important G7 for Trump, because he had to prove that he had the discipline and wherewithal to fix the global economy after he [expletive] up the global economy.' — JORDAN KLEPPER 'We all know what this is, right? You're at an event, you have to rush home because 'something came up'? Look, I get it — none of us like to poop in an unfamiliar place. Sometimes, when you have a big matchup coming up, you just need that home-field advantage.' — JORDAN KLEPPER 'After a few days with Trump, the Canadian prime minister was like, 'I hate to see you go, but I also hate to see you here.'' — JIMMY FALLON 'When French president Emmanuel Macron told the press that Trump left the G7 to work on a cease-fire, Trump attacked Macron, posting, 'He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a cease-fire. Much bigger than that. Stay tuned!' Much bigger than that? Not a cease-fire? Maybe not the most subtle messaging from the commander in chief. It's like when F.D.R. said, 'Gotta get me some sleep. Tomorrow is Big D-Day. Can't say much more, but it rhymes with Shmormandy.' — STEPHEN COLBERT 'So either the United States is about to jump in or he just got bored during the G7 icebreakers.' — STEPHEN COLBERT ''Stay tuned.' Like it's the season finale of 'Celebrity Apprentice' or something.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Oh, great! Yeah, better than a cease-fire! Cease-fire plus! That's great — I hate watching ads.' — JORDAN KLEPPER The Punchiest Punchlines (Trade Deal Drop Edition) Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
10 minutes ago
- CNN
For over 35 years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled Iran with an iron grip
Both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have raised the possibility of targeting Tehran's all-powerful leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. CNN's Melissa Bell takes a look at Khamenei's rise to power, and how the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran may put his decades-long rule to the test.
