Trump cancels appearance at NAACP national convention in Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - President Donald Trump will not be coming to Detroit for the NAACP National Convention.

It is tradition for the NAACP to invite sitting presidents to the national convention - despite what party they belong to. 

FOX 2 learned Thursday that President Donald Trump will not be there. He says the agreed upon date for his appearance changed and that he didn't sign up for a question and answer format - just a speech. 

"I very much wanted to go, but we had a date. The date got changed and unfortunately they wanted to do it in the form of a question and answer," Trump said.

"He blew an opportunity quite frankly, but we will do our best to go on without him," quipped Rev. Wendell Anthony.

Pointed sarcasm from Anthony, the NAACP Detroit Branch President. Anthony says it's telling to him that Trump did not want to open himself up to questions.

"There is a format; every candidate has said that he or she would be glad to participate in," Anthony said. "It's beyond us as to why that would be of some discomfort for the president "

Wendell says his organization can make the rules when it comes to their own convention.  

"We are American citizens," Anthony said. "We have a right to question our presidents and ask the leader of the free world what our future will be."

Thursday after President Trump fielded questions on the appearance, he told reporters that African Americans have the best unemployment numbers in history.

"African Americans are doing the best they have ever done in the history of our country and it's something to be really proud of, really proud of," he said.

But, also this week the President was called racist by some political pundits for telling four female lawmakers of color to, quote, "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came from."

FOX 2: "What is your comment on him being called a racist (which isn't the) first time?"  

"If it speaks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck - it must be a duck," Anthony said.

There won't be a shortage of politicians in Detroit next week - on the list of speakers at the convention Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.