DETROIT – Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump is slated for an interview Saturday with a Detroit pastor in an effort to strengthen his support from minorities, but an eight-page draft script with questions and responses is getting attention after details were published Thursday.
The script obtained by The New York Times shows 12 questions that Bishop Wayne T. Jackson intends to ask Trump, in an interview that will be closed to the public, and the responses written by aides for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, according to the report.
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Jackson is the pastor of Great Faith Ministries Church.
Many of the questions are about police killings, racial tensions and the perceptions of racism in the Republican Party.
According to the report, when asked about racism in his campaign, Trump was advised to say:
“The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding.”
The report details answers to his questions about his religious views and about the Bible, advising Trump to say:
“My family kept me grounded to the truth and the word of God … I treasure my relationship with my family, and through them, I have a strong faith enriched by an ever-wonderful God.”
The New York Times pointed out it is not uncommon for a candidate to request interview questions in advance. However, the preparedness of the Trump campaign in tackling a sensitive issue like race relations instead of candid responses is unlike his usual way of conducting interviews.
The interview is expected to air a week later on the Impact Network, a Christian cable TV channel.