For the first time in its more than a century-long history, the NAACP has declined to invite a sitting U.S. president to its national convention, citing deep conflicts with Donald Trump’s record on civil rights.
The decision, announced Monday by NAACP President Derrick Johnson, marks a historic departure for the 116-year-old organization, which has long maintained a practice of inviting presidents from both major parties to its annual gathering, regardless of ideological differences.
“This has nothing to do with political party,” Johnson said during a press conference. “Our mission is to advance civil rights, and the current president has made clear that his mission is to eliminate civil rights.”
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The upcoming convention is set to take place in July in Charlotte, North Carolina. AP indicated in a report that a request for comment sent to the White House received no immediate response.
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In recent months, tensions between the civil rights group and the Trump administration have escalated. The NAACP has filed several lawsuits against the administration, including one in April challenging the Department of Education’s threats to cut federal funding from schools that refused to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The organization argued that such moves unlawfully suppress efforts to ensure equal educational opportunities for Black students.
“There is a rich history of both Republicans and Democrats attending our convention,” the NAACP stated, referencing past presidential appearances. Democrat Harry Truman was the first to attend in 1947, and even presidents facing harsh criticism from the organization, such as George W. Bush, still received invitations.
Bush addressed the NAACP in July 2006 after his administration came under fire for its widely criticized response to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated Black communities in New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast.
Similarly, Republican President Ronald Reagan, whose use of racially charged rhetoric like “welfare queen” was sharply condemned by civil rights advocates, spoke at the group’s 1981 convention in Denver. In that address, Reagan distanced himself from white supremacist groups and pledged federal action against those “who, by violence or intimidation, would attempt to deny Americans their constitutional rights.”
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While the NAACP has a tradition of engaging even with ideological adversaries, officials said the current moment called for a different stance. In their view, the Trump administration‘s actions went beyond disagreement and represented an outright assault on the very principles the organization stands for.
