Donald Trump threatened Monday to send in the National Guard to Portland as he claimed credit for ending the violence in Kenosha, Wisconsi...
Donald Trump threatened Monday to send in the National Guard to Portland as he claimed credit for ending the violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin after troops were mobilizing there as civil unrest continues to ravage the country in the form of violent riots.
'If I didn't INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now,' Trump tweeted Monday morning. 'Also, there would have been great death and injury. I want to thank Law Enforcement and the National Guard. I will see you on Tuesday!'
Trump is preparing to visit Kenosha on Tuesday, despite Democratic leaders there, including the governor and mayor, demanding the president say away.
The president threatened Monday morning to send in federal troops or deploy the National Guard to Portland if Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler doesn’t do so on his own.
'Portland is a mess, and it has been for many years. If this joke of a mayor doesn't clean it up, we will go in and do it for them!' Trump said in another tweet Monday morning.
He added in another tweet: 'LAW & ORDER!'
A member of a right-wing group was shot and killed over the weekend in Portland during violent clashes between Black Live Matter protesters and a caravan of Trump supporters.
While unrest in Kenosha died down following days of burning, looting and rioting in the wake of a police shooting of Jacob Blake – the unrest flared up in other areas of the country, mainly Portland.
'The Radical Left Mayors & Governors of Cities where this crazy violence is taking place have lost control of their 'Movement',' Trump tweeted Monday. 'It wasn't supposed to be like this, but the Anarchists & Agitators got carried away and don't listen anymore - even forced Slow Joe out of basement!'
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has repeatedly voiced his condemnation of all violence, including the riots – and has demanded that President Trump do so as well.
'The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable,' Biden said in a statement Sunday. 'Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally. I condemn violence of every kind by any one, whether on the left or the right.'
'And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same,' he added.
Trump has not responded to that, but he still plans to make a trip to Kenosha on Tuesday to visit with law enforcement and potentially meet with Blake's family after Gov. Tony Evers pleaded for them not to visit the city in the midst of intense turmoil.
President Donald Trump claimed Monday the only reason Kenosha, Wisconsin riots and violence have subsided is because he 'insisted' on the National Guard being deployed there. The president also still plans to visit Kenosha on Tuesday despite pleas from state and local Democrats for him to steer clear of the area following days of civil unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake
Reaffirmation of Trump's visit comes after massive protests broke out in Portland, Oregon over the weekend
The president threatened to deploy federal troops to Portland if their Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler does not do so. 'Portland is a mess, and it has been for many years,' Trump tweeted Monday morning along with calling Wheeler a 'joke'
The Portland riots over the weekend included a man shooting and killing a member of a right-wing organization as Black Lives Matter protesters clashed with a caravan of Trump supporters
Joey Gibson, founder and leader of right-wing group Patriot Prayer, paid tribute to Aaron 'Jay' Danielson (pictured) writing: 'We love Jay and he had such a huge heart. God bless him and the life he lived'
Video taken by bystanders showed the deadly incident that took down Danielson. The suspect under investigation following the fatal shooting has been named as 48-year-old Michael Forest Reinoehl, a father of two who describes himself as '100% ANTIFA'
Portland police hold back a man who was with the victim of Saturday night's fatal shooting minutes after the incident
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers sent a letter Sunday to Trump claiming the president is not welcome in Kenosha after the White House announced plans Saturday for a visit to the city. 'I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state,' he wrote in the letter
'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,' Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said in a statement Sunday
The White House said Sunday evening Trump still plans to make his visit despite Evers' sending a letter requesting he stay away.
'The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have welcomed the President's visit and are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized,' Trump's Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said.
He added: 'President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild.'
Evers, a Democrat, said Sunday in a letter to President Trump that he is not welcome in Kenosha.
He urged him to reconsider his trip, writing: 'I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state.'
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, also a Democrat, is hoping the president will not stop by his riot-torn city on Tuesday.
'While presidents are always welcome to come to this great city, this is not the best time for a visit,' Antaramian said in a statement Sunday. '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.'
The reaffirmation of the president's visit to Kenosha comes as a Trump supporter was killed during massive riots in Portland over the weekend following Blake's shooting.
Portland, Oregon has been one of the largest sites of riots and violence in the fallout after George Floyd's death at the end of May.
The president threatened Monday morning to send in federal troops or deploy the National Guard to Portland if Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler doesn't do so on his own.
Trump unleashed a flurry of tweets and retweets the day after Aaron 'Jay' Danielson was shot and killed there as a large caravan of Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the city's streets.
Danielson was a member of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past, its founder, Joey Gibson, said Sunday.
He identified the victim as Aaron 'Jay' Danielson and called him a 'good friend,' but provided no details. Danielson apparently also went by the name Jay Bishop, according to Patriot Prayer's Facebook page.
The suspect under investigation following the fatal shooting of Danielson has been named as a dad-of-two who describes himself as '100% ANTIFA'.
Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, was revealed by The Oregonian Sunday evening as someone police are investigating as the shooter who took down Danielson.
He had already been accused of taking a loaded gun to an earlier Portland protest and social media posts show him attending Black Lives Matter protests.
Donald Trump retweeted the victim's name on Sunday and wrote, 'Rest in peace Jay!'
Trump also blamed Democratic mayors and governors for the widespread violence, claiming they have 'lost control'
The Oregonian reports how professional snowboarder Reinoehl is under investigation after footage showed him leaving the scene. He is said to be estranged from most of his family, with his sister telling the paper: 'We reached out to police and confirmed that we recognized Michael in the screenshots [from the incident].'
'On the one hand, this whole thing surprises the daylights out of us, because we always thought he is a lot of bark, not a lot of bite. But he's also been very impulsive and irrational,' she added.
The White House announced Saturday that Trump will visit Kenosha on Tuesday following days of protests in the city after police shot black man Jacob Blake seven times in the back. They reconfirmed his trip Sunday evening, after Evers' letter was sent.
The governor 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.'
The White House announced Saturday that Trump will visit Wisconsin Tuesday to 'meet with law enforcement and survey damage from recent riots' in the fallout from Jacob Blake's shooting in Kenosha
Blake, who is a father of six, has been left paralyzed after cops shot him seven times in the back as he entered his car last Sunday
'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,' Evers continued.
He added: 'Now is not the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state instigators who want to contribute to our anguish.'
Trump will be meeting with law enforcement officers and 'surveying' the damage in the city, where businesses have been vandalized and some buildings burned during demonstrations, White House spokesman Judd Deere announced.
Local Republicans have pushed back against pleas from Democrats for the president to steer clear of the area. They claim it's a double standard for Evers to visit the city, which he did on Thursday, and then accusing Trump of having political motivations with his visit.
'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.'
Trump is also trying to set up a meeting with Blake's family during his trip Tuesday after the shooting victim's father said the president should have called earlier this week and his mother says she missed his call.
In a letter addressed to the president, Democrat Evers urged him to reconsider the trip, writing: 'I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state.'
Disturbing images show the wide swaths of Kenosha, Wisconsin, that have been ripped apart and burned to the ground during riots over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The aerial photo above shows damage to several businesses downtown
The remains of cars burned during a night of unrest are seen on a used car lot in Kenosha Thursday
An incendiary device goes off in front of a Kenosha Country Sheriff Vehicle as demonstrators take part in a protest Tuesday
The president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump revealed to Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace that Trump has reached out to Blake's family and wants to meet with them this week.
Earlier Sunday, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, also expressed concerns about the visit.
'I don't know how, given any of the previous statements that the president made, that he intends to come here to be helpful. And we absolutely don't need that right now,' Barnes said in an interview with CNN.
The shooting of Blake has ignited new demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality months after George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer touched off a wider reckoning on race.
Blue Lives Matter supporters hold flags in Civic Center Park during a rally organized by supporters of law enforcement officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin Sunday
A Blue Lives Matter supporter stands in Civic Center Park, holding a revolutionary era American flag Sunday
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, blamed Trump for the tensions.
'Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence?' he asked at a televised news conference. 'It's you who have created the hate and the division.'
Trump, who appeared to be watching, responded with real-time tweets labeling Wheeler a 'wacky Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat.'
Disturbing video captured the shooting that left Jay Bishop dead in Portland on Saturday night
After a reporter told Wheeler about the tweet, the mayor shot back, 'I'd appreciate that the president support us or stay the hell out of the way.'
Ben Crump, Blake's attorney who also represents George Floyd's family, said the Blakes have not yet made any contact with the president.
'The Blake family has not been contacted at this time. Blake family is very respectful of all our elected officials, and as his mother says, she prays for all of our elected officials,' Crump told CBS News' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday.
He added: 'So, we will see.'
'They're focused on trying to march for their son because he'll never be able to stand up for himself unless a miracle happens,' Crump said.
The president praised the caravan participants as 'GREAT PATRIOTS!' and tweeted 'Rest In Peace Jay!'
Blake's mother told CNN Thursday that they did not support the violent riots that have overtaken Kenosha, and other parts of the country, since their son was shot following a tussle with police.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is also set to travel to an undisclosed location on Monday to 'condemn violence, and to note that chaos has unfolded' on Trump's watch, the New York Times reported.
While details of Biden's travel plans are not yet known, some have speculated that he could be headed to Kenosha as well.
The visit is certain to exacerbate tensions in the city, where a crowd of about 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside a courthouse Saturday to denounce police violence.
Lara Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law and adviser, said Sunday that the president has reached out to Jacob Blake's family to set up a meeting as he visits Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday
Blake's mother, Julia Jackson (left), said earlier this week that she missed a call from the president. She also said she does not blame President Trump for the unrest and said she 'has the utmost respect' for him
Trump has been running his reelection campaign on a law-and-order mantle, denouncing protesters as 'thugs' while voicing his support for police.
He has also repeatedly offered to send in the National Guard or federal assistance to quell the unrest.
Blake, 29, took at least half a dozen shots in the back in front of his small children as he tried to get into his car last Sunday, in an incident that triggered an outpouring of anger over yet another shooting of a black man by white police.
During the rally against police brutality and racism on Saturday, his father, Jacob Blake Sr, called on protesters to refrain from looting and vandalism, which had overshadowed peaceful protests before a tense calm set in the past three nights.
'Good people of this city understand. If we tear it up we have nothing,' he told a gathering at a park that was the hub of protests in support of his son, Jacob Blake Jr.
'Stop it. Show 'em for one night we don't have to tear up nothing.'
The convoy numbered around 600 vehicles, with Trump supporters flying flags as they cruised through Portland
Most were in trucks and cars, but some motorcyclists also came along for the ride - one with his bike decorated with Trump
The shooting of Blake has turned the mostly white city of 100,000 people south of Milwaukee into the latest flashpoint in a summer of nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and racism.
Blake will likely participate via video from his hospital room in a court hearing next week about criminal charges that predated the shooting, his lawyer told Reuters on Saturday, adding he would plead not guilty.
Anger at Blake's shooting, captured on video that went viral, led to street skirmishes; protesters hurled firecrackers and bricks at police in riot gear who fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets.
On Tuesday night a white teenager with a semi-automatic rifle shot three demonstrators, and two of them died.
Protesters march with the family of Jacob Blake during a rally against racism and police brutality in Kenosha on Saturday
People march in support of Jacob Blake and his family to the Kenosha County Courthouse on Saturday
Jacob Blake's father pleaded for peace during a rally at Civic Center Park in Kenosha on Saturday
In Kenosha on Saturday, people painted messages of unity on boards protecting storefronts after many businesses were burned to the ground in arson attacks and vandalism.
Residents hoped calm would hold for a fourth night as protesters, some wearing 'Justice for Jacob' masks, spoke about the need for racial justice.
The 17-year-old suspect in Tuesday night's killings, Kyle Rittenhouse, surrendered to police on Wednesday near his home in Illinois close to the Wisconsin border.
Kenosha officials have been criticized for videos showing law enforcement agents giving him water before the burst of violence and acting chummy with armed militia men in the streets.
Trump has repeatedly condemned the protests that have rocked the country since the death of George Floyd in May, as he presses a law and order message while fighting an uphill battle for re-election in November.
He has not specifically commented on Rittenhouse or Blake.
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