NAACP Refuses to Invite Trump to 2025 Convention \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The NAACP announced it will not invite President Donald Trump to its 2025 national convention in Charlotte. This marks the first time in the organization’s 116-year history that a sitting president has been excluded. NAACP leadership cited Trump’s opposition to civil rights as the core reason behind the unprecedented decision.
Quick Looks
- Historic First: The NAACP will not invite President Trump to its 2025 convention—marking a break from 116 years of tradition.
- Leadership’s Reasoning: NAACP President Derrick Johnson accused Trump of actively working to dismantle civil rights protections.
- Legal Battles: The NAACP has filed lawsuits against Trump’s administration over anti-DEI education policies.
- Non-Partisan History: The group has hosted both Republican and Democratic presidents despite policy disagreements in the past.
- Past Republican Speakers: George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan both addressed the NAACP despite criticism over race-related policies.
- Presidential Precedent: Democrat Harry Truman was the first sitting president to attend the convention in 1947.
Deep Look
In a historic and unprecedented move, the NAACP announced Monday that it will not invite President Donald Trump to speak at its upcoming national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, scheduled for next month. This marks the first time in the civil rights organization’s 116-year history that a sitting U.S. president has been deliberately excluded from the event.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson made the announcement during a press conference, stating unequivocally that the organization views Trump’s actions and policies as antithetical to its mission. “This has nothing to do with political party,” Johnson said. “Our mission is to advance civil rights, and the current president has made clear that his mission is to eliminate civil rights.”
The decision underscores the deepening rift between the Trump administration and America’s oldest and most influential civil rights organization. In recent years, tensions have mounted over policy decisions that the NAACP views as harmful to Black communities, particularly in education and voting rights.
One major point of contention came in April when the NAACP filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education, led by a Trump appointee, for attempting to withhold federal funds from schools that refused to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The NAACP argued that the administration’s directive violated federal protections and undermined efforts to ensure equal educational opportunities for Black students.
The exclusion of Trump is even more significant given the NAACP’s history of inviting presidents regardless of political alignment. The organization has previously hosted Republicans and Democrats alike—even in times of fierce policy disagreements. For example, President George W. Bush addressed the NAACP’s 2006 convention after intense criticism of his administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, a disaster that disproportionately affected Black communities in New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast.
In the early 1980s, Ronald Reagan also accepted an NAACP invitation during his first year in office, despite being accused by civil rights groups of using racially coded language—such as the term “welfare queen”—during his 1980 campaign. At the 1981 convention in Denver, Reagan condemned white supremacist hate groups and committed his administration to defending Americans’ constitutional rights against violence and intimidation.
The NAACP’s refusal to extend a similar invitation to Trump signals not only a policy divide but a moral one, according to its leaders. “There is a rich history of both Republicans and Democrats attending our convention,” the organization said in an official statement. “But our standards are not based on party—they are based on commitment to justice.”
While the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, political observers say the decision could influence how other civil rights and advocacy groups engage with the Trump administration during the 2025 campaign cycle and beyond. The NAACP’s stance could also fuel debate over whether traditional norms of political engagement remain relevant in a hyper-polarized climate where civil rights are often central to the divide.
The organization’s convention, typically a platform for robust policy discussions and high-profile political engagement, will proceed without the presence of the sitting president for the first time since its founding. Yet NAACP officials say this is a stand on principle, not just politics.
“Our legacy is rooted in fighting for the rights of Black Americans,” said Johnson. “We cannot, in good conscience, host a leader whose actions and rhetoric consistently undermine that mission.”
NAACP Refuses to NAACP Refuses to
You must Register or Login to post a comment.