Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sends letter to Trump asking to 'reconsider' visit to Kenosha: 'I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing'

August 30, 2020

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sends letter to Trump asking to 'reconsider' visit to Kenosha: 'I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing'

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2020 file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers holds a news conference in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration is moving ahead with plans to buy 10,000 ventilators and 1 million protective masks in the fight against the coronavirus. The effort comes after Evers' administration had clashed with Republican lawmakers over whether he needed their permission to make such purchases. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)
Associated Press

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers asked President Donald Trump in a letter to "reconsider" his visit to Kenosha, saying he is concerned Trump's "presence will only hinder our healing."
In a letter sent to the White House Sunday, Evers wrote that he was also concerned that an in-person visit from the president "will require a massive re-direction" of resources to support his visit "at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community's response."
Last Sunday, a Kenosha police officer shot Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, several times in the back after officers initially responded to what the department described as a "domestic incident."
A graphic video of the incident went viral, sparking statewide protests. Evers activated the National Guard in response on Monday.
In a statement to Business Insider, White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said Trump "looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild."
"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," Deere said in the statement.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote to President Donald Trump asking him to "reconsider" his decision to visit Kenosha amid protests sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake last week.

In a letter sent to the White House Sunday, Evers asked Trump to reconsider his Kenosha visit, writing that he and "other community leaders" are concerned about what the president's "presence will mean for Kenosha and our state."

"I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing," Evers wrote. "I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."

He added he is also concerned that an in-person visit from the president "will require a massive re-direction" of resources to support his visit "at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community's response."

Last Sunday, a Kenosha police officer shot Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, several times in the back after officers initially responded to what the department described as a "domestic incident." Blake is in stable condition in the ICU, and his family and attorney said he is paralyzed from the waist down.

A graphic video of the incident went viral, sparking statewide protests. Evers activated the National Guard in response on Monday.

The following day, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, arrived to the Kenosha protests armed with an AR-15. Rittenhouse told a reporter for The Daily Caller earlier that he was there to protect local businesses from looting. The Illinois teenager is charged with first-degree homicide in connection with the killings of two protesters and injuring of a third.

"Kenosha and communities across Wisconsin are enduring extraordinary grief, grappling with a Black man being shot seven times and the loss of two additional lives Tuesday night at the hands of an out-of-state armed militant," Evers wrote in the letter to Trump.

"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," he continued. "Now is not the time for divisiveness. Now is not the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state agitators who want to contribute to our anguish."

In a statement to Business Insider, White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said Trump "looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild."

"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," Deere said in the statement.

Representatives from Evers' office did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.