/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f4ec2130a825f84abdc08ff/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=3839&cropY1=0&cropY2=2160&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1 "Trump Dodges Question About Systemic Racism During Kenosha Event")
TOPLINE
During a controversial visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, President Trump hammered home his “law and order” messaging but painstakingly avoided addressing the original cause of protests in the city—police violence against Black people and systemic racism in the U.S.
US President Donald Trump listens to officials during a roundtable discussion on community safety, … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
KEY FACTS
During the roundtable discussion and a Q&A with reporters afterwards, Trump did not mention Jacob Blake, whose shooting sparked protests in the city and across the country, and barely mentioned the grievances of protesters, only to say he felt “terribly” for anyone who lost someone.
When a reporter asked the president whether he believes systemic racism is a “problem in this country,” Trump refused to answer the question, and criticized the reporter and the media at large for not talking more about the violent acts of “very bad people” in Portland, Kenosha, and other places.
Trump also dismissed a separate question about whether he sympathizes with protesters’ quest for “structural change,” claiming people’s priority was “law and order.”
Instead, Trump railed against demonstrations he characterized as “domestic terror” and “anti-American,” as he blamed the unrest on Democrats.
The president’s visit to the city — which included a tour of wreckage from the protests — occurred despite the objections of Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wis.) and other local lawmakers and comes as his campaign looks to position the president as tough on crime.
It comes against the backdrop of escalating violence — which Trump’s opponent, Joe Biden, has accused the president of “fomenting” — including a the shooting of a right-wing supporter in Portland and two protesters in Kenosha.
Key background
Kenosha, a small city in southern Wisconsin, became the new center of social unrest in the U.S. after a police officer shot Blake seven times in the back as they were arresting him on August 23. After three nights of arson and riots in a confined area of the city following the shooting, tensions have cooled.
Big number
$1 million. That’s the amount of money Trump said his administration would provide Kenosha law enforcement. The president also said he would give $4 million to small businesses in the area and $42 million to assist with public safety efforts statewide.
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