Donald Trump Handed Historic Rebuke by NAACP

The NAACP announced Monday that it will not invite President Donald Trump to its upcoming national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina—marking the first time in the civil rights organization’s 116-year history that it has chosen to exclude a sitting U.S. president.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson made the announcement at a Monday afternoon press conference, accusing Trump of acting in direct opposition to the group’s values.

“This has nothing to do with political party,” Johnson said in a statement. “Our mission is to advance civil rights, and the current president has made clear that his mission is to eliminate civil rights.”

The organization’s decision comes amid escalating legal challenges it has mounted against the Trump administration. In April, for instance, the NAACP filed a lawsuit to block the Department of Education from cutting federal funding to schools that maintained diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The group argued that such funding restrictions unlawfully undermined efforts to ensure equal opportunity for Black students.

NAACP officials emphasized the gravity of the decision, noting the organization’s long-standing tradition of inviting presidents regardless of political or ideological disagreements.

In a notable example, Republican President George W. Bush addressed the NAACP’s national convention in July 2006, following months of criticism over his administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina, which disproportionately affected Black communities in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.