Leaked Script Shows What Advisers Want Donald Trump to Say at Black Church

Leaked Script Shows What Advisers Want Donald Trump to Say at Black Church

By YAMICHE ALCINDOR SEPT. 1, 2016

DETROIT — Donald J. Trump’s visit to a black church here on Saturday will be a major moment for a candidate with a history of offending the sensibilities of black Americans.

His team was leaving nothing to chance.

Instead of speaking to the congregation at Great Faith Ministries International, Mr. Trump had planned to be interviewed by its pastor in a session that would have been closed to the public and the news media, with questions submitted in advance. And instead of letting Mr. Trump be his freewheeling self, his campaign prepared lengthy answers for the submitted questions, consulting black Republicans to make sure he says the right things.

An eight-page draft script obtained by The New York Times shows 12 questions that Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the church’s pastor, intends to ask Mr. Trump during the taped question-and-answer session, as well as the responses Mr. Trump is being advised to give.

The proposed answers were devised by aides working for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, according to an official who has been involved in the planning but declined to be identified while speaking about confidential strategy.

Given the importance of Donald J. Trump’s visit to a black church, the Trump campaign went so far as to script Mr. Trump’s answers to the church’s pastor's questions, which were submitted in advance. A draft of the script was obtained by The New York Times.

The document includes the exact wording of answers the aides are proposing for Mr. Trump to give to questions about police killings, racial tension and the perception among many black voters that he and the Republican Party are racist, among other topics.

The official said the answers could change based on feedback from the black Republicans they are consulting with.

After this article was published online Thursday night, Jason Miller, the senior communications adviser for the Trump campaign, said that Mr. Trump’s plans had changed and that he would address the congregation for five to 10 minutes after the interview. Mr. Trump will then visit some neighborhoods with Ben Carson, the former presidential candidate, who supports Mr. Trump and grew up in Detroit.

“If you know anything about Mr. Trump, it’s that he will want the opportunity to take his vision and message of opportunity directly to the people on Saturday, Mr. Miller said.

It is not uncommon for a candidate to request interview questions in advance; aides to Hillary Clinton do it from time to time. But it is unusual for a campaign to go so far as to prepare a script for a candidate’s own responses, and highlights the sensitivity of Mr. Trump’s first appearance at a black church. Mr. Trump’s series of slights, including his questioning of President Obama’s birth certificate, has not endeared him to black voters.

Before the scheduled interview, Mr. Trump will attend a service at Great Faith Ministries, but will not deliver any remarks.

The interview will be aired about a week later on the Impact Network, Bishop Jackson’s Christian cable television channel. The official said several Trump aides would be working with the network to edit the taped interview so that the final version reflected the campaign’s wishes.

The arrangements had angered several black Republicans who had been urging that Mr. Trump, who is widely seen as distant from the black community, speak for at least 10 minutes at the service, according to the official involved in the planning. The official said the Trump campaign had been uncomfortable with the candidate speaking before the congregation and insisted instead on the private interview.

Mr. Trump is well known for veering from prepared remarks or throwing them away entirely. That could happen on Saturday: Many of the answers being prepared for him do not sound much like Mr. Trump as his usual self.

When asked about his vision for black Americans, the script suggests that Mr. Trump stay positive, advising that he use lines such as “If we are to make America great again, we must reduce, rather than highlight, issues of race in this country” and “I want to make race disappear as a factor in government and governance.”

To a question submitted by Bishop Jackson about whether his campaign is racist, the script suggests that Mr. Trump avoid repeating the word, and instead speak about improving education and getting people off welfare and back to work. “The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding,” Mr. Trump is advised to say. “Coming into a community is meaningless unless we offer an alternative to the horrible progressive agenda that has perpetuated a permanent underclass in America.”

To the first question, “Are you a Christian and do you believe the Bible is an inspired word of God?” the scriptwriters have a response they hope will keep Mr. Trump from repeating previous stumbles when asked about his faith.

“As I went through my life, things got busy with business, but my family kept me grounded to the truth and the word of God,” the script has Mr. Trump saying. “I treasure my relationship with my family, and through them, I have a strong faith enriched by an ever-wonderful God.”

Bishop Jackson said on Thursday that he did not know about any preparations the Trump campaign was making. He said he saw no problem with the campaign asking to screen his questions, and noted that in the past he had given advance text of prayers he planned to deliver at the White House.

“We want this to be as peaceful as possible,” Bishop Jackson said. “That’s what I promised would happen. I promised that: You are coming into a place to be interviewed and we don’t want anybody to be hurt or anybody to be misused, so that’s it.”

Of all the proposed answers, the most Trump-like might be his reply to the final question of the interview: What he would say to undecided black voters?

“If you want a strong partner in this journey, you will vote for me. I will never let you down,” Mr. Trump is directed to say, adding, “By the way, my support is now up to 8 percent and climbing.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/02/us...e-jackson.html

I really don't understand "officials" who would leak something like this to the press, let alone the New York Times, unless they're a Mole.

I also don't think Donald Trump needs any help let alone a "script" to talk to black Americans. He's been working with black Americans his entire career. He's done business with black Americans, he's had black Americans stay in his home, I mean this whole thing is ridiculous.

Donald Trump needs to just show up and talk to the people. He's not going to offend a black American who isn't in the pocket of the CORRUPT MEDIA or the Clintons, and who cares what they think? Honestly.

Is this more "official" Kellyanne Conway?

Trump will straighten this out, but does he really have to do everything himself?

Apparently so.