Can you not fact-check?
Trump was outraged to be expected to tell the truth.
Moments before former President Trump took the stage at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in Chicago on Wednesday, the organization’s president was called back to address an issue.
Why it matters: Trump did not want to be fact-checked live and was refusing to go on stage, NABJ president Ken Lemon told Axios.
- “[Trump’s team] said, ‘Well, can you not fact check? He’s not going to take the stage if you fact-check,'” Lemon said.
That’s so interesting. Why would he not want to be fact-checked? Silly question. Because he lies constantly, so he would look pretty ridiculous being interrupted every few words for a fact check.
The Q&A with the GOP presidential nominee was delayed more than an hour before he eventually joined a panel of Black journalists, including ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner and Semafor reporter Kadia Goba.
- At the time, President Trump blamed the delay on audio problems.
- Lemon told Axios, “There were audio problems, but they were resolved very quickly.”
- “The bigger problem was his threat not to take the stage when he had agreed to go on. He did not want to be fact-checked, but we could not let him on the stage without fact-checking,” Lemon said.
That would make a good title for an official biography – He Did Not Want to be Fact-checked.