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 The billionaire mogul emerged from the more than two-hour meeting
saying it went "very well." He said some of the attendees had agreed
to endorse him, but the group did not present a formal list of new
supporters.
The meeting was held with the Coalition of African American
Ministers, clergy from across the country connected to one another
through the South Carolina-based Christian broadcaster, the NOW
Television Network.
The group included a former contestant on Trump's reality TV show
"The Apprentice" and a New York pastor who has attracted national
attention with anti-gay statements and harsh criticism of American
leaders, including President Barack Obama and former President
George W. Bush.
Jordynn Parks, daughter of network co-founder Pastor Mark Burns,
said clergy members in attendance regularly appeared on the network.
Trump and other attendees said there were about 100 participants.
 PASTORS REACT
Cleveland-based pastor Darrell Scott, who spoke on behalf of the
group after the meeting, described it as "very constructive."
"We had meaningful dialogue with Donald Trump," Scott said, adding
many of the pastors planned to return to their homes and pray while
deliberating whether to endorse Trump. He said some were meeting
Trump for the first time.
Among the meeting's attendees was James Manning, a Harlem-based
pastor who came under fire in June for using the billboard outside
his church to post anti-gay messages, including one addressed to gay
rights supporters that said: "Cursed be thou with cancer, HIV,
syphilis, stroke and madness."
Manning once likened Obama, America's first black president, to
Adolf Hitler and has frequently said the president is secretly gay.
After Monday's meeting, Manning pledged his support for Trump.
"Mr. Trump realizes why black people are going to vote for him,"
Manning said. "He is truthful - forget about him not being
politically correct. He loves America, I believe that he does."
Another member of the group was Omarosa Manigault, who became an
ordained minister in 2012 after a decade of appearances on reality
TV shows, including the first season of "The Apprentice," where she
attracted loyal fans as well as harsh critics.
Manigault, who is now known simply as "Rev. Omarosa," said she had
come equipped with questions her parishioners in California wanted
her to ask Trump about issues like access to education for members
of the black community.
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"I walked away with the answers to the questions that my
parishioners had," she said. "Everybody in that room had their own
individual role and agenda."
CHANGE OF PLANS
Trump's campaign had initially described the meeting as a precursor
to a public event set for Monday in which the group would formally
endorse him. But over the weekend, the campaign canceled that event
and proceeded only with the private meeting.
After emerging from the meeting at Trump Tower, Trump told
reporters: "I've had many endorsements today."
Trump has come under fire for tweeting what critics assail as
racially charged statistics about black murder rates and for saying
a black protester at one of his political rallies deserved to be
"roughed up."
In an open letter published on Friday, 114 black religious leaders
and academics criticized the clergy members planning to meet Trump
for failing, they said, to challenge him over his controversial
statements.
A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll on Friday showed a 12-point drop in
support for Trump, who is seeking his party's nomination for the
November 2016 election. He was the favorite of 31 percent of
Republicans in a rolling poll in the five days ended on Nov. 27,
down from a peak of 43 percent registered on Nov. 22.
For more on the 2016 U.S. presidential race and to learn about the
undecided voters who determine elections, visit the Reuters website.
(http://www.reuters.com/election2016/the-undecided/).
(Reporting by Emily Flitter; Editing by Howard Goller and Peter
Cooney)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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