JAKARTA - President of the United States (US) Donald Trump insists on visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin despite his opposition. Instead of stopping racial and violent acts, Trump prefers to support law enforcement by police in a city that is rocked by civil unrest.
The US seems to be polarized on issues of racial injustice and police violence. According to Reuters, Trump seems to attract more of a white supporter base with a message of upholding law and order. While he ignored police violence and downplayed the more than 180,000 deaths in the US from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While visiting, Trump did not visit Jacob Blake, a victim of a shooting by police who was paralyzed. Blake was hit in the back seven times on August 23 by white police officers.
In addition, on his trip Trump also only discussed the Kenosha construction issue and promised to provide more federal spending to Wisconsin, the political battle zone that Trump won in 2016. This shows that Trump is trying to raise votes for the upcoming elections.
As well as securing votes, Trump also appears to be working to open new ballot bags in cities ruled by Democratic mayors. The reason is that he plans to send more federal officials to these cities even if local officials object.
Not only that, Trump also visited a furniture store that was burned down in an anti-racism demonstration. The emergency command center praised National Guard troops being called in to reinforce local police after several nights of peaceful protests culminating in looting, arson and gunfire. "This is not a peaceful protest, it is genuine domestic terror," Trump told local business leaders.
Meanwhile, Trump's rival Joe Biden has accused Trump of inciting violence with his rhetoric. Biden's campaign team said Trump's trip to Kenosha was a "strategy of winning the election violence."
Kenosha polemicPeaceful demonstrators complain that violent agitators, often white, have hijacked their protests by destroying property. But many have also sharply criticized the police, saying the US needs to fully rethink its law enforcement practices.
"To stop political violence, we must also confront radical ideology ... We must condemn dangerous anti-police rhetoric," Trump said.
Kenosha has become one of the flashpoint cities where anti-racist protesters have clashed with Trump supporters who had gathered at the protest site. Sometimes openly carrying weapons while swearing to protect property from looters.
A 17-year-old Trump supporter has been charged with killing two people and injuring one with a semi-automatic rifle at Kenosha. Trump defended the white teenager, who faces six criminal charges and refuses to condemn violence from his supporters.
But in Portland, Oregon, where protests have lasted three months and often turned violent, a Trump supporter was shot dead. Trump then lamented and said, "They executed a man on the street."
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