This week, the NAACP announced that it would not invite President Donald Trump to its annual national convention, scheduled for next month in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s the first time in its 116-year history that the civil rights organization has rejected a sitting president from the convention.
According to reports, Trump will be the first president since Herbert Hoover in 1932 to completely forgo speaking at the conference, having also skipped it during his 2016 presidential campaign and in both 2017 and 2018 as president.
Why did the NAACP not invite Trump?
According to a press release, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson stated that the organization does not oppose voices from either political party. He noted that the NAACP has worked with past presidents, including Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
However, President Trump’s recent actions contradict the mission of the civil rights organization, Johnson said.
“But right now, it’s clear — Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights,” Johnson stated. “He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American.
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 to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government.”
Did the White House respond to the NAACP?
According to The Washington Post, a White House spokesperson lamented the NAACP’s decision not to invite the president.
“The NAACP isn’t advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our borders, and establishing peace across the globe,” the Post reported.
When is the 2025 NAACP convention?
The 2025 NAACP National Convention will take place from July 12 to July 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Trump not invited to NAACP convention, first time in 116-year history