Republican Kenosha congressman: Trump visit will ‘help begin the process of healing’

Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), who represents Kenosha, said Tuesday that President Trump’s visit will “help begin the process of healing” for the city.

The Wisconsin Republican expressed his approval of the president’s visit to the city after protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha more than one week ago. 

“President Trump answered my call when help was needed in Kenosha,” Steil said in a statement on Twitter. “Now he wants to thank the men and women who helped restore public safety in our community of Kenosha.”

“It’s positive he is coming to thank them and to help begin the process of healing and rebuilding our community,” he added. 

My statement on President @realDonaldTrump’s visit to Kenosha: pic.twitter.com/dV8oBtZTL6

— Bryan Steil (@RepBryanSteil) September 1, 2020

The White House announced the president’s trip to Kenosha over the weekend, where he plans to give a message on “law and order” amid the unrest in the city. Trump is expected to meet with law enforcement and survey the damage from the demonstrations, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters. 

But local Democratic leaders have spoken out against the president’s visit. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said Sunday he is concerned Trump’s “presence will only hinder our healing.” Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian (D) told NPR’s “Weekend Edition” that he would prefer Trump not to visit “at this point in time.”

Protests broke out in Kenosha last week after a video circulated showing the Aug. 23 police shooting of Blake, a Black man. He was shot at least seven times in the back as he opened the door to his SUV where his children were sitting. Authorities said they attempted to use a stun gun on him before the shooting. 

The protests turned deadly after two people were killed and another was injured in a shooting last week. Trump defended the shooting suspect, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, saying he was “very violently attacked” by protesters and he “probably would have been killed.”

The demonstrations came after the reemergence of Black Lives Matter protests calling for police reform following George Floyd’s May death in Minneapolis police custody.