Sept. 1, 2020 4:10p; Updated at 6:50p
(WGTD)---President Trump toured two areas of Kenosha that were hard-hit last week by riots, spoke with business owners who suffered losses but made no mention of Jacob Blake at a roundtable discussion on community policing issues during a visit Tuesday. The Blake family name came up only after a pastor at the end of the session prayed for Blake's continued recovery.
Trump brought dollars with him to Kenosha: $1 million for local law enforcement efforts and $4 million to support small businesses, although it's unclear how much of that money was on top of funds already appropriated by Congress.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Evers announced that businesses that suffered damage will be eligible for up to $20,000 each in no-interest loans. He indicated more state help may be on the way.
At the roundtable, held at Bradford High School at the end of his visit, Trump said he was here to support Kenosha.
The guest list at the hour-long event included Kenosha County Sheriff Dave Beth, Kenosha Police Chief Dan Miskinis, Kenosha City Administrator John Morrissey, State Senator Van Wanggaard, several local business people and the Rev. James Ward, who was described as the pastor for the mother of Jacob Blake, the man who was shot multiple times in the back by a Kenosha police officer a week ago Sunday. Ward said he did not speak for the entire family.
At the end of the discussion, a reporter asked Trump about Blake and the investigation into the shooting. "I hope they come up with the right answers," Trump said. "It's a complicated subject to be honest," he said.
As for the family, Trump said: "I feel terribly for anybody that has to go through (it)." Trump acknowledged that he did not meet with Blake's mother. "I hear she's a fine woman," Trump said.
Absent from the event were Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian and Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser. Both men had urged Trump to postpone his trip because his appearance would tax resources better spent on recovery and policing efforts. Although he was at the news conference Monday where both Antaramian and Kreuser expressed disappointment, Beth thanked Trump for coming.
Trump acknowledged that some people had asked him not to come, but he shrugged it off.
He made no mention of either Antaramian or Kreuser, or Gov. Evers, for that matter, who also had requested that Trump wait.
During the roundtable, Trump blamed recent violent protests over racial injustice on "domestic terror" without addressing the root causes of the violence.
He also denied that systemic racism existed in the nation's police forces, blaming any problems on "a few bad apples."
"They're under tremendous pressure," Trump said of police officers. "They may be there for 15 years and have a spotless record and all of a sudden they're faced with a decision. They have a quarter of a second. If they make the wrong decision one way or another they're either dead or they're in big trouble,' he said.
As he's done before, Trump erroneously took credit for sending in the National Guard.
Meanwhile, the Blake family held a block party styled-event at the scene where the shooting occurred. They urged people to stay away from the motorcade route. Organizers said they didn't want to give Trump's positions credence by showing up to protest, and instead wanted to focus on building community and seeking racial justice.
But supporters and detractors lined the motorcade route anyway, in some places, several deep.
Trump rode into town in the motorcade after landing at Waukegan's airport.
About a dozen members of the business community were part of Trump's visit.
Kimberly Warner, owner of Authentique, a downtown Kenosha gift shop, said the White House invited her to participate in the event in a phone call she received Monday while at lunch. She felt it was her civic duty to participate and represent other downtown business owners, even though she described herself as apolitical.
Warner said she didn't feel that she was part of a photo op. "For him to come, he genuinely did have a caring feeling," she said. "He talked to each of us. He asked us for our stories. You could tell he really did care," Warner said.
Various demonstrations against Trump's visit were held during the day and early evening in Kenosha.
At one point, a group of protesters surrounded a man who they said was a member of a white nationalist group. Police officers moved in quickly and pulled the man away.
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