June 17, 2025
It’s the first time the civil rights organization has excluded a sitting president in its 116-year history.
The NAACP announced Monday that President Donald Trump is not invited to its national convention in July. It’s the first time the civil rights organization has excluded a sitting president in its 116-year history.
NAACP leaders say the reason is that Trump works against the organization’s mission of ensuring political, educational, social, and economic rights of all people and to eliminate racial hatred and discrimination.
“For 116 years, the NAACP has invited the sitting president of the United States to address the NAACP National Convention — regardless of their political party,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “But right now, it’s clear — Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights. He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American.”
According to Johnson, there is a rich history of both Republicans and Democrats attending the convention. President Harry Truman was the first, the Associated Press reported. Other presidents that followed include Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Regan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
NAACP: Inviting Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance Is A Waste of Time
The NAACP accused Trump of signing unconstitutional executive orders to “oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections.” NAACP leaders said Trump has also illegally turned the military on our communities and continues to undermine every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and for personal benefits.
“To that end, the NAACP has made the decision to break with tradition and not invite Donald Trump or J.D. Vance this year,” Johnson added in his statement. “This administration does not respect the Constitution or the rule of law. It would be a waste of our time and energy to give a platform to fascism, which would be unacceptable.”
The NAACP’s move follows multiple lawsuits the organization has filed against the Trump administration. In March, the NAACP joined other advocates and state attorneys general in suing the Department of Education for withholding federal funds from schools that did not end their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The Department of Education argued that it was prohibiting legal efforts to provide equal opportunity to Black students, as BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.
