Trump Plans ‘Unifying’ Visit To Kenosha As Gov. Warns Of Heightened Polarization

TOPLINE

President Trump will visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday in an attempt to unify the state after over a week of unrest, despite a request to cancel the trip from Wisconsin’s Democratic governor who warned the president will only inflame tensions.

KEY FACTS

Chief Critic 

“The job of the president is to lower the temperature,” reads a statement from the Biden campaign released Sunday, accusing Trump of “fanning the flames of hate” and failing to “call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict.” 

Key Background 

While Trump has accused Democrat-run cities of failing to keep control, Democratic leaders have responded by warning the president’s inflammatory rhetoric has polarized and driven violence. “The Radical Left Mayors & Governors of Cities where this crazy violence is taking place have lost control of their ‘Movement,’” Trump wrote on Monday amid a flurry of tweets about “Law & Order,” the “mess” of Portland and the city’s “joke of a mayor” and Kenosha. 

In Portland, where a man wearing apparel affiliated with a right wing group was shot and killed during clashes with Black Lives Matter protesters on Saturday night, Mayor Ted Wheeler blasted Trump: “Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence?” The Democratic mayor continued, saying, “It’s you who has created the hate and the division.”  

Big Number 

102. The number of those arrested in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who came from outside the city, according to Kenosha police. There has previously been concern that outside agitators are taking advantage of protests and riots in some cities to stoke violence. 

Further Reading 

“Biden Tries To Flip The Script, Asking ‘Are You Safe In Trump’s America?’” (Forbes) 

“What Happened in Portland? Here’s What We Know” (The New York Times)

“17-Year-Old Arrested In Illinois For Kenosha Shooting Amid Vigilante Militia Rumors” (Forbes) 

“What We Know About Kyle Rittenhouse, The 17-Year-Old Charged In The Kenosha Shootings” (Forbes)