'Stay Away From Kenosha,' Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Tells Trump

KENOSHA, WI — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says he doesn't want President Donald Trump to visit Kenosha on Tuesday after days of protests that have wracked the city following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man.

Trump appears undeterred and says he's coming anyway.

In a letter Sunday to Trump, Evers implored the president to stay away from Wisconsin.

"I understand yesterday you indicated you would be visiting Kenosha, and according to pool reports last night, that you intend to visit Kenosha this Tuesday. I write today to respectfully ask you to reconsider," Evers said in the opening of his letter to the president.

Evers said Wisconsin has faced "unimaginable challenges" over the months of the coronavirus pandemic. Recent events put the state in a graver situation, he feels.

"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 on Tuesday night at the hands of an out-of-state armed militant," Evers wrote.

Evers visited Kenosha last week as National Guard members began pouring into the community, which was wracked by days of protests that saw buildings burned down and damaged, and city blocks vandalized.

Evers, in his letter, said Trump's presence in Wisconsin can do no good.

"I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state," Evers 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."

Minnesota Didn't Want Trump Either

Evers is not the only governor-level official seeking to curtail Trump's activities in an embattled state.

Earlier in August, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spent the balance of one weekend trying to convince Trump to stay away from a George Floyd memorial in South Minneapolis prior to a rally in Mankato.

The Trump campaign apparently followed Walz's advice. Trump spoke at the Minneapolis airport Monday afternoon before departing for his rally in the southern Minnesota city of Mankato, but did not make a trip to the memorial, according to a Minnesota Patch report.

Evers Said Trump Lied About Wisconsin

In closing his letter to Trump, Evers called Trump a liar, particularly when it came to characterizing the governor's response to protests.

"Our first responders have been working around the clock since Sunday evening," Evers wrote. "To date, and contrary to yours and others’ misinformation, I have continued to stress that protests need to be peaceful and that we must come together to address the significant challenges that we face, and the State of Wisconsin has fulfilled every request for support we have received from the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County leaders."

Trump Undeterred

The president does not appear to be fazed by the Wisconsin governor's call to stay away.

On Monday morning, Trump published a volley of tweets indicating he's on track to visit the Badger State on Tuesday.

"If I didn’t insist on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now. 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 tweeted Monday.

Blake Shot

Blake was shot several times by Kenosha police Aug. 23 during the course of a domestic dispute on the city's north side.

A witness to the shooting recorded the incident on video. In that video, police are seen following Blake around his SUV, grabbing him by the shirt, and opening fire on him several times as he enters his car while his children were apparently seated inside.

Blake survived the shooting. The video of Blake's shooting has gone viral, and Kenosha has seen widespread protests ever since.

Public officials of all kinds have weighed in on the shooting — some calling for immediate punishment for the officer who pulled the trigger, others calling for police and social reforms, and others calling for a playing-out of the police investigation into the shooting.

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