Evers urges Trump to rethink upcoming visit to Kenosha
Republicans see chance for a local morale boost
President Donald Trump says he will visit Kenosha on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement and survey damage from recent unrest, but Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian are urging him to reconsider.
No details about Trump's visit were available Sunday, but a range of Wisconsin Democrats criticized the presi
dent's move as political and something that could inflame tensions, while local Republicans welcomed it as a potential morale boost.
Evers wrote to Trump “to respectfully ask you to reconsider” because Kenosha was still in the process of healing after seeing a video of Jacob Blake, 29, shot in the back seven times at point-blank range by Kenosha Police Department Officer Rusten Sheskey; and another video of Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Illinois, shooting and killing two people and wounding another during the ensuing protests and civil unrest.
"I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state," Evers wrote. "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."
And in a statement Sunday, Antaramian said: “While presidents are always welcome to come to this great city, this is not the best time for a visit. We are hurting today and we are focused on healing, coming together as a community and rebuilding. There is a lot of listening we need to do in Kenosha and I worry that a visit from the president will delay this important work.”
But local Republicans said it's a double standard for Evers to visit the city, which he did on Thursday, without being accused of making similar political calculations.
“They should not talk like that when Kenosha has had the devastation it's had since Sunday,” said Erin Decker, a county board supervisor and chair of the local Republican Party chapter. “Nobody said Evers coming to Kenosha was political. I think it might bring up the morale of the people of Kenosha.
“I'm so happy he's coming by and that he cares enough about Kenosha to take time out of his busy schedule.”
Three nights of unrest followed after Blake's shooting on Aug. 23. On Sunday, Antaramian told the Kenosha News he was asking Evers for $30 million in aid to help the city recover from the arson, looting and vandalism that struck dozens of businesses near the city's government campus and uptown district.
The announcement of Trump's visit came Saturday evening, one day after he addressed Blake's shooting for the first time.
After a rally in New Hampshire on Friday, Trump said: “It was not a good sight. I didn't like the sight of it, certainly, and I think most people would agree with that,” according to CNN.
Trump referenced Kenosha during the Republican National Convention but did not make specific remarks about the shooting or Blake, who is now paralyzed from the waist down.
Law and order was emphasized throughout the RNC, and Trump called out the city by name in his acceptance of his party's nomination for reelection.
"In the strongest possible terms, the Republican Party condemns the rioting, looting, arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, New York and many others," he said.
For his part, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden recently said he plans to visit Wisconsin and other crucial swing states in person soon. Quoting someone familiar with Biden's plans, The New York Times reported Saturday that Biden was expected to travel on Monday to condemn violence and point out that it was occurring during Trump's administration.
Earlier Saturday during a news conference, Trump was asked if he would visit the city and he said “probably so,” because of the presence of National Guard troops.
“With Kenosha, it's been in very, very good shape from the moment they set foot in that area,” he said.
National Guard troops first arrived in Kenosha on Monday, but unrest persisted in the city the following two nights. On Tuesday night, Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha were killed and a third man wounded in a shooting. Rittenhouse has been charged in those shootings.
When asked about that shooting Saturday, Trump said he would comment on it in 24 to 48 hours after receiving more information.
Meanwhile, the number of National Guard troops in Kenosha has swelled to more than a thousand, with troops from Michigan, Alabama and Arizona on the way, according to Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp.
A range of other Wisconsin Democrats took aim at Trump for his scheduled visit, including Attorney General Josh Kaul, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and state Sen. Bob Wirch, who represents Kenosha.
"I think his appearance could have an adverse reaction on the local situation," Wirch said. "We got things calmed down. He comes in and maybe stirs up the situation."
But Kenosha County Board Supervisor Zach Rodriguez said it's just as important for the president to visit as it is for the state's governor. He said it provides an opportunity for city residents to show the president what happened “so that we're not forgotten” and potentially spur aid from the federal government.
“I think it's important for any president to come here and come to any American city that's been affected the way we've been in the last week,” he said.
A handful of Kenosha residents told the Journal Sentinel they did not want the president to visit the city, saying they did not understand how it would be productive.
“I don't think he could say anything that could make people feel better here,” said Juliana Nuvarez. “I don't think it's safe for him or for other people.”
Trump visited Oshkosh earlier this month during the mostly virtual Democratic National Convention, which was anchored in Milwaukee. He previously stopped in Green Bay in June, and Milwaukee in January. His planned stop in Kenosha would be his fourth trip this year to Wisconsin, which is expected to be a key battleground state in the fall election.
Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other Republicans have criticized Biden for not traveling to Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention, accusing him of ignoring Wisconsin — drawing parallels to Hillary Clinton's failure to visit the state during the general election four years ago.
Biden and other Democrats have criticized Trump's campaign during the coronavirus pandemic as irresponsible and dangerous.