Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisTexas Democratic official urges Biden to visit state: 'I thought he had his own plane' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden on Trump: 'He'll leave' l GOP laywers brush off Trump's election remarks l Obama's endorsements A game theorist's advice to President Trump on filling the Supreme Court seat MORE (D-Calif.) attended a criminal justice forum in South Carolina on Saturday, dropping her boycott of the event.

Harris had declared on Friday that she would not attend the forum at Benedict College, a historically black college in Columbia, S.C., because Trump had received an award at the event earlier that day for his efforts to pass criminal justice reform legislation.

However, she reversed course on Saturday after Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin (D) emphasized that "candidate forums" were not sponsored by the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center, the organizing group for the symposium that had presented the award to Trump.

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“I am excited to welcome presidential candidates to a criminal justice forum dialogue which will allow Benedict College students and the wider community to have full participation,” Benjamin said. “I want to be clear that the Candidate Forums are hosted by myself and Benedict College. This portion of the weekend is not a 20/20 Presidential Justice Center event.”

A spokesman for Harris tweeted that the California senator "will now participate in Mayor Benjamin’s forum at Benedict today."

Harris had faced some pushback over her initial decision to skip the event, which is being attended by all the major Democratic presidential candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters Republicans not immune to the malady that hobbled Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (I-Vt.).

“Running away from a conversation has never solved anything. Some people will abandon a microphone because they don’t like the person who touched it last. Others are smart enough to grab that microphone and make sure THEY get the last word,” tweeted CNN political commentator and criminal justice reform advocate Van Jones, who spoke at the event Saturday.

I will be there, too, @CoryBooker ... Running away from a conversation has never solved anything. Some people will abandon a microphone because they don’t like the person who touched it last. Others are smart enough to grab that microphone and make sure THEY get the last word. https://t.co/JbsKY0a5Hf — Van Jones (@VanJones68) October 26, 2019

Trump also hammered Harris over her decision to pull out of the forum, panning her as a “badly failing presidential candidate” in a series of tweets Saturday morning.

Harris’s presidential campaign and allies maintained Saturday that her decision to reverse and attend the event was the best course of action.

“Voters have made clear they are looking for a President that stands with them and in pursuit of justice for all,” said Bakari Sellers, former Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of South Carolina and a Harris surrogate. “With this decision, Kamala Harris has made clear that she is that person. South Carolina and our HBCU [historically black college or university] students deserve a champion and leader unafraid to be challenged and checked - tomorrow will provide them with that much-deserved opportunity.”

Harris in her statement Friday said she was backing out of the event because she refused to be complicit in “pandering” to the president’s record on racial issues.

She noted that she is "the only candidate who attended an HBCU," adding, "I know the importance that these spaces hold for young Black Americans."

“Today, when it became clear Donald Trump would receive an award after decades of celebrating mass incarceration, pushing the death penalty for innocent Black Americans, rolling back police accountability measures and racist behavior that puts people’s lives at risk ... I cannot in good faith be complicit in papering over his record,” she said.

At the forum, Harris touted a litany of her plans to promote criminal justice reform, including legalizing marijuana and reducing incarceration, and said the First Step Act, which Trump signed into law and was honored for, was a good first step but must lead to the "second through 10th steps."

Trump's appearance at the college Friday came days after he faced bipartisan criticism for comparing House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry to a “lynching.”

Updated: 2:20 p.m.