CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NAACP has made a historic break from tradition, announcing Monday that President Donald Trump will not be invited to speak at its upcoming national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina — marking the first time in the organization’s 116-year history that it has refused to invite a sitting U.S. president.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson delivered the announcement during a press conference, citing Trump’s opposition to core civil rights protections as the reason for the unprecedented decision.
“This has nothing to do with political affiliation,” 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 White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The move underscores growing tensions between the Trump administration and the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, which has repeatedly challenged the president’s policies in court. In April, the NAACP filed suit to block the Department of Education from withholding federal funding from schools that continued to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs — arguing that the department’s actions violated the rights of Black students to equal educational opportunity.
The NAACP has a long-standing history of engaging presidents across the political spectrum — even those whose policies it sharply criticized. Democrat Harry S. Truman became the first sitting president to attend the convention in 1947, setting a precedent followed by both Democratic and Republican leaders.
In 2006, Republican President George W. Bush addressed the NAACP after enduring intense criticism over his administration’s slow response to Hurricane Katrina, which disproportionately impacted Black communities in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. Likewise, President Ronald Reagan, who drew widespread condemnation during his 1980 campaign for invoking the racially charged phrase “welfare queen,” accepted the NAACP’s invitation during his first year in office.
Speaking at the group’s 1981 convention in Denver, Reagan denounced white supremacist hate groups and pledged that his administration would uphold the constitutional rights of all Americans by prosecuting those who used violence or intimidation to suppress them.
By contrast, Johnson and other NAACP leaders argue that Trump has not only failed to engage with civil rights issues but has actively undermined decades of progress.
“There is a difference between policy disagreement and a fundamental disregard for civil rights,” Johnson said. “This president has chosen the latter.”
The decision is likely to further fuel political debate ahead of the 2024 election, where civil rights, racial justice, and education policy remain flashpoints. The NAACP’s move sends a powerful signal about what the organization views as a categorical threat to its mission — and underscores how sharply divided the political landscape has become, even in institutions once known for bipartisan engagement.
AP
