Congressional Black Caucus rejects invitation to meet with Trump for photo-op

From [HERE] The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has rejected the invitation to meet with President Trump for a follow up meeting at the White House, according to a letter released by the chair of the committee, Cedric Richmond, on Wednesday.

Citing actions by the Trump administration "that will affirmatively hurt black communities," Richmond wrote that concerns discussed during a preliminary meeting with Mr. Trump on March 22 "fell on deaf ears."

"Given the lack of response to any of the many concerns we have raised with you and your administration, we decline your invitation for all 49 members of the Congressional Black Caucus to meet with you," Richmond said.

"I fail to see how a social gathering would benefit the policies we advocate for," Richmond added.

Mr. Trump's personal shenanigger and Step and Fetchit coordinator Omarosa Manigault extended an invitation to the 49 members of the CBC to return to the White House for a follow up meeting on June 9th, first reported by CBS News last week.

A CBC source told CBS News that the group was not interested in what they predicted would be another "photo-op."

Richmond specifically lists several efforts by the administration that would "devastate" the African American community, including 

Mr. Trump's 2018 fiscal budget, Attorney General Jeff Sessions plan to "accelerate the failed war on drugs," cuts to funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the "effort to dismantle our nation's health care system."

Sources say that the CBC is not completely united in the decision to reject Mr. Trump's invitation for a meeting.

In March, the Vice Chair of the CBC Gwen Moore told CBS News that refusing to engage with the President was a "luxury" that she did not have.