(CNN) Washington: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will not be speaking at the NAACP Annual Convention in Ohio next week, the civil rights organization's president and CEO said Tuesday.
After days of speculation, NAACP's Cornell William Brooks told CNN that Trump had declined the group's invitation to address its members in Cincinnati at their conference, which is being held this weekend.
Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is scheduled to speak, Brooks told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."
"Mr. Trump has declined our invitation, so we will hear from Sec. Clinton," Brooks said. "Namely, the explanation given was that (the Republicans) are holding their convention at the same time. We are, of course, in Cincinnati, they are in Cleveland. We were hoping he would make the short trip from Cleveland to Cincinnati."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump's decision to skip the event represents a change of course from previous Republican presidential candidates, with 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney addressing the 103rd NAACP annual convention in Texas.
Mr. Trump begins a trend which should be permanently sustained.
Brooks said he was disappointed by Trump's announcement, saying it was a missed opportunity for the real estate mogul to respond to recent problems between law enforcement and the African-American community. |