‘I Didn’t Get An Invite!’ Trump Black Coalition Leader Complains On CNN — While Defending Trump Black History Month Party

Leading Black Americans for Trump Coalition member Melik Abdul told CNN anchor Abby Phillip “I didn’t get an invite” to President Donald Trump’s Black History Month reception — even as he defended Trump from criticism.

On this week’s edition of CNN Saturday Morning Table for Five, Phillip called out Trump for hosting the reception even as she says his administration is “erasing” Black history.

Abdul — a vocal member of the coalition who has spoken out against the administration’s intense focus and approach to DEI — defended Trump even as he complained he was not invited to the reception.

His defense appeared to closely resemble Phillip’s criticism — that Trump is “sending two different signals” — but that it was good, not bad:

ABBY PHILLIP: Erase Black history. Unless, of course, you can get Tiger Woods to show up.

In one month, the Trump administration has done basically everything to turn diversity and DEI into curse words. And the soon to be education secretary even questioned whether Black history will be allowed to be continued, taught to be taught in American schools.

Now agencies have completely erased identity months– yes, that includes Black History Month— from what they are allowed to do. In fact, Trump’s transportation secretary, he called them a distraction.

So it’s kind of awkward when Trump then turns around and holds a Black History Month event at the White House.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We pay tribute to the generations of Black legends, champions, Warriors and Patriots who helped drive our country forward to greatness. And you really are great, great people.

ABBY PHILLIP: Well we are (LAUGHS). Where do I even begin? I mean, we’ve been here for the last 33 days, so we’ve seen this all happen.

But just today or This week, the Trump administration also suspended an Agriculture Department scholarship program for historically Black colleges. It is still, last I checked, Black History Month. And that’s the stuff that’s actually happening. Putting aside the pictures and the smiles and the Tiger Woods.

MELIK ABDUL: So I don’t think that the Trump administration, they’re not trying to cancel Black history. They are trying to focus on DEI programs. They did–.

I was happy that he had the event at the White House. People don’t realize this is an annual event at the White House. Presidents, Republican and Democrats have put these events on each year.

There were questions about how– whether or not Donald Trump would do it, considering what people like Pete Hegseth said.

Well, we’re not going to acknowledge this at the Department of Defense.

Now, to be clear, I didn’t get an invite! To– to the– I didn’t get an invite because–

ABBY PHILLIP: Which is a whole other story.

MELIK ABDUL: Yes. Which is a whole nother story.

ABBY PHILLIP: You just said it. I mean, Pete Hegseth said you cannot acknowledge Black History Month. The Defense Department, the Department of Transportation said you cannot acknowledge Black history month–.

MELIK ABDUL: But the president–.

ABBY PHILLIP: I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you can say that. And they can declare that those History Month recognitions in their departments are basically verboten. And then all of a sudden, Trump is like “We’re cool with it.”

MELIK ABDUL: I think it’s I think it’s Trump sending two different signals. So I think that there is a signal to the and I what I call the woke right. Yes, the woke right. That is a thing. Those people anti-DEI.

But for many other people around Donald Trump who don’t have a problem with things like Black History Month. I think that that was an important thing. But I thought that this is a good thing because it shows that Donald Trump is at least listening.

Watch above via CNN Saturday Morning Table for Five.