Donald Trump Jr. appeared on a radio show with white nationalist James Edwards and agreed with Edwards' belief that the media is “the enforcer of political correctness.” Edwards later claimed that the interview happened because “a press agency that's scheduling interviews for” Trump Jr. reached out to him.

Edwards is the host of the Memphis-based The Political Cesspool, which describes itself as representing "a philosophy that is pro-White ... We wish to revive the White birthrate above replacement level fertility and beyond to grow the percentage of Whites in the world relative to other races." The show also states it has rallied to support “pro-Confederate” causes against “black malcontents.” 

Edwards has claimed that Martin Luther King Jr.'s “dream is our nightmare,” “interracial sex is white genocide,” and “slavery is the greatest thing that ever happened to” African-Americans. The Anti-Defamation League has written that Edwards and his program give voice to “a variety of anti-Semites, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant leaders.” The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) wrote that “Edwards has probably done more than any of his contemporaries on the American radical right to publicly promote neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, raging anti-Semites and other extremists.” 

On March 1, Edwards wrote a post on The Political Cesspool website claiming that he “attended a Donald Trump rally in Memphis on Saturday night as a fully credentialed member of the media and enjoyed the unique experience of being able to air a live broadcast of The Political Cesspool Radio Program from inside the press pen while the event was in full swing.” He also wrote, “Next Saturday's show [March 5] will feature a previously taped 20-minute interview with Donald Trump, Jr.”

Edwards' credentials and interview claim set off a media controversy and forced the Trump campaign to run for cover. After initially denying any interview took place, Trump Jr. argued that the campaign had “worked with an outside booking agency to line up 35 radio interviews for him” and that one of those interviews was with conservative host Sam Bushman, who brought in Edwards to ask some questions “unbeknownst” to Trump Jr. But Edwards claims the agency initially reached out to him about Trump Jr. appearing on Political Cesspool, but scheduling difficulties resulted in the interview happening on Bushman's show.

Trump Jr. appeared on the March 1 edition of Liberty Roundtable with Sam Bushman, alongside Edwards, who appeared as a guest and questioner. (Bushman was the guest host for The Political Cesspool on February 27 when Edwards reported live from the Trump rally.)

Edwards first asked Trump Jr. if he agreed that the media “has long since abandoned objective reporting and now sees itself as the enforcer of political correctness. Am I off base?” Trump Jr. replied: “No, not at all. I mean, it's amazing when I see some of the stuff that's there”:

EDWARDS: It seems to me that the establishment press has long since abandoned objective reporting and now sees itself as the enforcer of political correctness. Am I off base in drawing that conclusion, and why do you --

TRUMP JR.: No, not at all. I mean, it's amazing when I see some of the stuff that's there. And I've been to these rallies, and I traveled around, and I go to the debates, and I'm actually there. It's so disingenuous at this point, but I think because of my father, maybe he's got a big soap box, and that's why he's able to do it, but the average American is finally getting it. They see it. Because I'll watch a speech for an hour and you'll see it, and I'm sure you can vouch for me on this one, he'll say something in minute number five, he'll say something minute 15, he'll say something in minute 45, and they blend the three things together as though it was one thought and they say, “He's such a terrible person. Look what he said.” You know, it's so phony. But people are getting it now, and that's what's amazing because this isn't just a political campaign, it's a movement.

Edwards later told Trump Jr. that “as soon as I get off the line today, I'm going to vote and I'm going to be voting for Trump, obviously.” Trump Jr. closed by telling the show and its listeners to “go out and vote” for Trump. 

Listen to the full interview here.

In a segment following the Trump Jr. interview , Edwards and Bushman claimed it came about because a press agency booking interviews for the Trump sons directly contacted The Political Cesspool and Edwards.

“Donald Trump gives James Edwards credentials and then virtually reaches out to us, James, you've got to give him incredible credit for that,” Bushman begin.

After detailing how he had been approved for press credentials for the Memphis rally, Edwards said that “a press agency that's scheduling interviews for” Trump Jr. and brother Eric Trump reached out directly to Edwards and The Political Cesspool to schedule an interview but he scheduled it on Liberty Roundtable instead because he didn't broadcast on the day of availability:

EDWARDS: But then on Sunday morning we get an email from a third party, it doesn't come directly from Donald Trump Jr., of course, it comes from a press agency that's scheduling interviews for him, and it was addressed to me at my radio show address. And they just said would you be interested in having either Donald Trump Jr. or Eric Trump on your program, either on Monday or Tuesday. And of course with my show airing on a Saturday night, it would be difficult for me to get him on a Monday or Tuesday.

But we've got friends in high places so I call Sam Bushman, I say, “Sam, I got this opportunity to have one of the scions on the program but they only have availability on Monday or Tuesday. You want to go in on this together?” And Sam agrees and he reaches out, responds to the email on my behalf, and on behalf of the network. And then, well you just heard the rest. And they got back very quickly.

Edwards repeated his claim in a March 3 post, stating that “an independent booking agency sent an e-mail to jamesedwards@thepoliticalcesspool.org” and “asked if I would be interested in having Trump Jr. on my program.”