While Donald Trump will indeed be meeting with a coalition of black pastors tomorrow, it seems that a press conference that was supposed to occur afterwards has been thrown out after many of those invited said the discussion would not equate to an endorsement.

Advertising

CBS noted that Trump’s campaign said multiple times last week that he would be hosting 100 African American Evangelical pastors and religious leaders at Trump Tower; the press event afterwards was reportedly billed as an endorsement. However, new reports indicate that the campaign has scrapped the event after several of these invited leaders said that don’t support Trump as much as he may believe.

“On Monday, Mr. Trump will host an informational meet and greet with many members of the Coalition of African American Ministers,” said spokeswoman Hope Hicks in a statement today. “This is not a press event, but a private meeting, after which, a number of attendees are expected to endorse Mr. Trump’s campaign for President. This is closed to press and therefore no media credentials will be provided.”

Los

Angeles Bishop Clarence McClendon, who wrote on Facebook that he declined his invitation, and that the meeting was initially presented before him as a discussion, not an endorsement. “I am not officially endorsing ANY candidate and when I do you will NOT need to hear it from pulpitting courtjesters who suffer from intellectual and spiritual myopia,” McClendon wrote.

McClendon’s opinion seems to be shared by Bishops Paul S. Morton of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, and “Preachers of Detroit” figure Corletta Vaughn. Vaughn said online that Trump “is an insult and embarrassment. But he represents the country we have become,” and Morton posted this message to his followers on Twitter:

Pastor Darrell Scott, who appeared in support of Trump at a rally, organized the meeting and has confirmed that he personally plans to endorse the mogul. “Some of these pastors have never even met Trump yet,” Scott said. “They told me, ‘I don’t know if I’m ready to endorse yet. I want to see him and I want hear his heart.’” Indeed, other pastors who will be attending have reportedly said they were not prepared to endorse anyone yet.

[h/t Daily Beast]
[image via screengrab]

— —

>> Follow Ken Meyer (@KenMeyer91) on Twitter

Tags: African American, Donald Trump, pastors