There is a growing number of Kenosha area and Wisconsin leaders who want President Trump to reconsider his planned trip to Kenosha Tuesday.
The President is expected to talk with law enforcement and survey damage that has occurred in Kenosha since the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha Police back on August 23, 2020.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, in a statement, says now is not the best time for the President to visit. He adds the city welcomes a visit, but the focus for them now is to heal from the past week’s issues, and that a visit may delay this.
Governor Evers has written to President Trump, saying he and other community leaders are concerned about his presence and how it might “hinder our healing” and “delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.” The full letter is below.
Attorney General Josh Kaul is asking President Trump to give Kenosha time to heal. He writes, “A President should be coming to Kenosha – to help people, to listen, to condemn violence and vigilantism, and to lead. But we know that isn’t Donald Trump.”
Instead of thinking about what’s best for Donald Trump’s campaign, he and his advisors—for once—need to think about what’s best for the people he was elected to represent and not come to Kenosha this week. 4/
— Josh Kaul (@JoshKaulWI) August 30, 2020
Not everyone is against President Trump’s planned visit. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Kenosha County Board Supervisor Zach Rodriguez favors the visit, given that Governor Evers has already visited. In a statement, he sees the visit as a chance to show what has happened in Kenosha, and possibly help get federal aid to the city.
Former Governor Scott Walker says he is happy to see the President coming and how this can help rebuild the city.
There is no doubt that @POTUS @realDonaldTrump helped stop the chaos in Kenosha. I am happy that he is coming on Tuesday. He can help rebuild this great city and make it even better for everyone!
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) August 30, 2020
EVERS COMPLETE LETTER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP:
Dear President Trump:
I understand yesterday you indicated you would be visiting Kenosha, and according to pool reports last
night, that you intend to visit Kenosha this Tuesday. I write today to respectfully ask you to reconsider.
These past few months, from managing a pandemic to facing entrenched racial disparities and inequities,
our state—like so many others—has faced unimaginable challenges. But this past week has been
particularly difficult. Kenosha and communities across Wisconsin are enduring extraordinary grief,
grappling with a Black man being shot seven times and the loss of two additional lives on Tuesday night
at the hands of an out-of-state armed militant.
When I visited Kenosha last week, what I saw was a community working to deal with the trauma and
pain of these events and extreme loss. They are exhausted and heartbroken with the division that has
ripped apart their community, but they are also already working to rebuild, together, and support each
other in the face of adversity.
I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence
will mean for Kenosha and our state. 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.
It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know
are hurting, mourning, and trying to cope with trauma. Now is not the time for divisiveness. Now is not
the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state instigators who want to
contribute to our anguish.
Moreover, as the Kenosha community continues their recovery efforts, I am likewise concerned that an
in-person visit from you will require a massive re-direction of these resources to support your visit at a
time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and
supporting the community’s response.
Our first responders have been working around the clock since Sunday evening. To date, and contrary to
yours and others’ misinformation, I have continued to stress that protests need to be peaceful and that we
must come together to address the significant challenges that we face, and the State of Wisconsin has
fulfilled every request for support we have received from the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County
leaders. Early Monday morning, Kenosha County requested National Guard assistance and 125
Wisconsin National Guard men and women were on the ground by Monday evening, 250 members on
Tuesday evening, 500 members on Wednesday evening, and we have continued to increase their
presence with additional National Guard support from Arizona, Michigan, and Alabama. Likewise,
Wisconsin Emergency Management has been working with local law enforcement non-stop and
beginning Sunday night through the last week, we have had hundreds of police officers from across the
region and from across the state in Kenosha to assist the Kenosha Police Department and the Kenosha
County Sheriff’s Department.
As governor, I will continue to support the Kenosha community as well as the people across our state
who are demanding police accountability and transparency reform. This work cannot wait, which is why
I have called the Wisconsin legislature to come to work on Monday and take up a policing
accountability and transparency reform package. I would welcome your support of these initiatives.
For the reasons above, I urge you to revisit your decision to visit Kenosha on Tuesday. Thank you for
your time and your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Tony Evers
Governor