While it has been good to see journalists from different backgrounds defend the journalistic integrity and competence of NBC News’ Kristen Welker against attacks from Donald Trump, it is also important to again call out Trump’s pattern of disgustingly sexist, personal attacks on the intellect, integrity and credibility of Black women journalists, and prominent Black women in public life. It is also no surprise that a man with a long history of racism and sexism continues these childish, offensive outbursts at the very idea that Black women are stepping into our power in this historic moment.
Given that she is the moderator of Thursday night’s final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, part of Trump’s strategy in attacking Welker personally is aimed at de-legitimizing the debate (and what will likely be another horrendous debate performance from Trump himself) by attempting to undermine her legitimacy ahead of time. At a recent rally in Arizona, Trump falsely accused Welker of being “a radical Democrat,” which she isn’t—she is registered to vote with no party affiliation and hasn’t donated money to Democrats.
Trump has also tweeted about Welker that “she’s no good,” “she’s always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News,” and “but I’ll still play the game.” Ironically, it’s likely the fact that she’s so good at her job that has also compelled Trump to try and smear her. Back in March, it was Welker who asked the question that got Trump to utter the unforgettable (and not in a good way) sentence, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
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It was during the press conference where he declared a national emergency in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid serious public concerns about an alarming lack of testing capacity and how ill-prepared the White House response had been. Welker asked whether he should take any responsibility for any of these failures, to which Trump spoke the words that will mark him forever—and then proceeded to falsely blame former President Barak Obama.
As an actual Democrat who worked with Welker several years ago when I was a political commentator at MSNBC, let me add my name to the growing chorus of those who have already said what an unbiased, fair, brave journalist she is, unafraid to ask anyone tough questions. As a Black American woman, I also want to affirm that Trump’s despicable comments can’t dampen the history Welker will make on Thursday night as only the second Black woman to moderate a presidential debate alone.
She stands on the shoulders of numerous women journalists, including most notably Carole Simpson, then of ABC News, who moderated one of the presidential debates in 1992. Nor do Trump’s attacks diminish Welker’s journalistic accolades, which includes a National Emmy Award and being named Outstanding Broadcast Journalist at the 2020 Washington Women in Journalism Awards.
As we’ve seen over the last four years, Trump prefers journalists, especially women and most especially Black women, to ask “nice” questions. Author and filmmaker Don Winslow powerfully illustrated the point in a recent video that went viral, #Trumpattacksblackwomen, which not only catalogues attacks on several Black women but also highlights the recurring theme in Trump’s attacks on Black women, which focus on intelligence, likeability, legitimacy, credibility, and the appropriateness of their behavior.
As the video shows, in addition to Welker, CNN’s Abby Phillip, American Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan, and PBS’s Yamiche Alcindor have been targets of Trump’s racist, sexist attacks.
He has attacked Phillip for asking a “stupid” question, berating her for asking “a lot of stupid questions” when she asked him if he wanted acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to “rein in” Special Counsel Robert Mueller not long after Whitaker had taken over DOJ when Jeff Sessions stepped down.
He’s called Ryan a “loser” and has said that “she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing,” even rudely ordering her to “sit down” during a particularly tense news conference after the 2018 midterm elections. At that same press conference, Trump berated Alcindor for posing what he said was a “racist” question when she asked if Trump’s rhetoric referring to himself as a “nationalist” was perhaps emboldening white nationalists.
It is worth noting that two years later, during the first presidential debate, Trump refused to denounce white nationalism. Trump has also attacked her for asking “nasty” questions even berating her to “be nice” and “don’t be threatening” when Alcindor attempted to ask Trump about comments he’d made in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News about equipment requests from the states during the pandemic. Trump was also visibly agitated when Alcindor asked about Black unemployment rates during COVID, attempting to belittle her, saying, “You are something else.” All fair, substantive questions.
It doesn’t stop at journalists. Other prominent Black women subjected to Trump’s attacks include former first lady Michelle Obama, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Broward County election supervisor Brenda Snipes, congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL), former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, and journalist Jemelle Hill.
Reminiscent of his attacks on President Obama’s intelligence, Trump repeatedly attacks congresswoman Maxine Waters’ IQ and his misogynoir against Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris combine despicable hits he leveled at President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Within hours of Harris’ being named to the Democratic ticket, Trump attempted to re-up the racist, othering birther strategy he used against president Obama, falsely questioning her citizenship (she was born in Oakland, California). Trump has also called her “nasty,” a “monster,” and, in an ongoing barrage of disgusting smears, has attacked her popularity, her qualifications, personal motives, competence, and leadership.
Trump’s pattern of attacks do harm and a grave disservice to the progress women, and especially Black women, have been making toward equality by attempting to reinforce the most false, dehumanizing trope of all: the “angry Black woman.” Often used to discount and silence us all together, it dismisses and undermines Black women as hostile, ignorant, ill-mannered, illogical and out of control.
While sexist, racist attacks on Black women aren’t new, calling them out exposes the complex set of issues, biases and expectations that Black women must still navigate to be seen, heard, and taken seriously while also expanding our collective understanding of the depth, expanse, and excellence of Black womanhood.
