Democrats slammed President Trump’s scheduled visit to Kenosha, Wis., on Tuesday as divisive, criticizing the president over his decision to visit the city amid unrest despite requests from local and state leaders for him to delay his appearance.
“At a time when we desperately need a leader who can bring us together Donald Trump continues to do nothing but sow division,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez told reporters on a call Tuesday
“Trump set our democracy ablaze and now wants us to believe he’s a firefighter,” Perez added.
The chairman spoke ahead of the president’s planned visit to Kenosha, where protests have erupted after last week’s police shooting of Jacob Blake. During demonstrations last week, two protesters were fatally shot and another was injured. Officials later arrested Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, who faces homicide charges.
Trump defended Rittenhouse on Monday, claiming he was acting in self-defense and had been “very violently attacked” by demonstrators.
“What you see with Donald Trump, he’s not there to heal the community. He’s not going to be speaking to the victim’s family,” Perez said.
The mayor of Kenosha and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, both Democrats, had urged Trump to reconsider his planned visit amid the unrest in the community.
Janet Napolitano, a Democratic former Arizona governor and secretary of Homeland Security under former President Obama, criticized Trump for going against the local leaders’ wishes in continuing with his plan to visit Kenosha. She accused the president of going to Kenosha with the intent of inciting violence.
“I was putting myself in Gov. Evers’ shoes — what would I do if an incumbent president was coming to my state over my objections? When the state and the communities in the state are beginning the healing process, and coming, really with the intent to fan the flames and to keep the violent activity going and to incite it?” Napolitano said on the call with reporters.
“It’s a terrible position to be in. This is Donald Trump’s America,” she added.
Napolitano, like Perez, cast Trump as a divisive leader. She said he has “no way to help communities heal” and raise discussions to unite Americans.
Both Democrats on the call touted Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as the antithesis of Trump, painting the former vice president as a unifying figure who has condemned violent demonstrations while promoting peaceful protests.
They both referenced Biden’s speech from Pennsylvania the day before, during which the Democrat condemned the violence and blamed Trump for fomenting it.
Perez said Biden wants to visit Kenosha “as soon as possible,” but is making sure he is “talking to everybody involved there.”
“I’m confident that when Joe Biden goes to Wisconsin he will be going with a goal of healing,” Perez said. “This isn’t about campaign appearances, it’s about communities that are hurting right now and Kenosha is hurting and he wants to get here so he can listen and learn what they need to heal. What can we do to help? Those are the questions Joe Biden will be asking.”
Trump is expected to meet with law enforcement and survey the damage from the protests in Kenosha and deliver a message of “law and order,” according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.