The latest on Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake

Jacob Blake Sr. speaks with CNN on Monday, August 31.

The father of Jacob Blake – the man shot in the back seven times by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer – told CNN’s Jim Acosta that he is not “dealing with politics” and that his family is focused on his son’s health and recovery.

This comes in response to President Trump’s decision not to meet with the family during his trip to the city tomorrow.

Acosta asked Jacob Blake Sr., “What is your reaction to the President saying he doesn’t want to speak with you because your lawyer has to be on?” 

Later in the interview, Acosta followed up, “I am sure you would want to talk about your son and how he is doing, perhaps?” 

“I’m not getting into politics. It’s all about my son, man. It has nothing to do with a photo-op. It has to do with Jacob’s operation,” Blake Sr., said.

He said his son is still paralyzed from the waist down and that he’s “holding on for dear life.”

“We are dealing with an individual that a couple of months, a couple of weeks ago was running around with the boys and talking to me on the phone and laughing to an individual that cannot move his leg,” Blake Sr., said. He also described his son’s progress as “limited.”

President Trump said at a news conference earlier that he was not going to meet with the Blake family because they wanted to have lawyers involved.

Blake Sr. defended that position saying, “This is not politics. This is about the life of my son and Benjamin Crump represents my family.”

Crump told CNN he didn’t know why the President wouldn’t want the family to have their lawyers on the call, adding “he seems to have lawyers with him when he talks to people.”

“We have a Department of Justice investigation going on. So it would be most appropriate to have your counsel on the phone when you’re talking to anybody involved in the government that would determine whether those individuals will be held accountable for shooting your son seven times in the back in front of your three grandchildren,” Crump said.

Watch:

Jacob Blake’s father told CNN’s Jim Acosta on Monday that he has “received some threats.” 

Asked how the family is doing and how everybody is holding up, Jacob Blake Sr. said, “I just put my 20-year-old son in the hospital because he is suffering from depression. And it is saddening to me that people don’t understand the type of pressure this family is under and what the rest of the family is dealing with.”

Acosta followed up, asking, “And what are you dealing with?”

Blake Sr. said, “We are dealing with an individual that a couple of months, a couple of weeks ago was running around with the boys and talking to me on the phone and laughing to an individual that cannot move his leg.” Blake Sr. also described his son’s progress as “limited.”

“And I received, I received some threats, and it affected my son,” he added.  

Blake Sr. continued saying he did not want to go in detail about it and to ask his attorney Ben Crump for additional information. 

Crump said the family moved hotels because of “sick things” happening in Kenosha, saying “the worst thing could be for this family to suffer any more physical violence with what they are dealing with, with Jacob.”

“So I understand Mr. Blake making it paramount to make sure his family is protected in their hotel rooms or getting calls with threats, we got to protect against that because that is not acceptable,” Crump continued. 

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian speaks at a press conference on August 31. 

Kenosha, Wisconsin, Mayor John Antaramian said today that he was “disappointed” by President Trump’s planned visit to the city tomorrow, saying he’d prefer it if both Trump, and his Democratic rival for the White House, Joe Biden, delayed their visits until at least next week. 

Antaramian’s also extended the sentiment to Biden, who told reporters today he was considering a trip to Wisconsin. The mayor told CNN, “I would also prefer if the vice president waited until next week before he came.”

“It’s just too soon for the President having to come here at this point in time,” he added. “I would say it’s a little soon for the vice president also,” Antaramian said.

“But in fairness, if the President is here tomorrow, then there really is no other choice the vice president has than to also be here,” the mayor added.

The White House announced over the weekend that Trump would travel to Kenosha to meet with law enforcement and to survey some of the damage from the recent protests.

Trump’s visit also come over the objections of Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who wrote him a letter urging that he reconsider as the city continues to grapple with racial unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

President Trump said Kyle Rittenhouse “probably would have been killed” had he not fatally shot two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, claiming that Rittenhouse had been “very violently attacked.”

The 17 year old faces homicide charges as well as a felony charge for attempted homicide.

“You saw the same tape as I saw and he was trying to get away from them I guess, it looks like,” Trump said at a press briefing Monday, “And he fell, and then they very violently attacked him.”

“It’s something that we’re looking at right now, and it’s under investigation, but I guess he was in very big trouble, and he would have been – he probably would have been killed,” Trump continued, “but it’s under investigation.”

Asked if he agreed with armed vigilantes like Rittenhouse taking to the streets, Trump said he’d “like to see law enforcement take care of everything,” but didn’t condemn vigilantism.

“I’d like to see law enforcement take care of everything. I think everything should be taken care of law enforcement,” he said.

In a new statement, Joe Biden is responding to President Trump’s news conference, saying the President is “too weak” and “too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.” 

He calls on the President to condemn violence. “So once again, I urge the President to join me in saying that while peaceful protest is a right — a necessity — violence is wrong, period. No matter who does it, no matter what political affiliation they have. Period.” 

Joe Biden’s advisers are discussing possibly having the the Democratic presidential nominee travel to Wisconsin as soon as this week, a source with knowledge of the discussions said, adding that the situation remains fluid.

During a stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, earlier today, Biden told reporters he hopes to travel to Wisconsin.

A Biden campaign official would not comment on any possible plans under consideration.

Some context: President Trump is scheduled to travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement and survey some damage from recent protests.

On Sunday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote a letter asking Trump to reconsider his visit as the city continues to grapple with the unrest stemming from the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the President is not scheduled to meet with Blake’s family while in Kenosha. Trump did say at a news briefing Tuesday that he talked with the family’s pastor.

Last week, Biden and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris spoke with Blake’s family, including his father Jacob Blake Sr., who has described the conversation as “so comforting” and said “It was like I was speaking to my uncle and one of my sisters.”

President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at the White House on August 31 in Washington, DC.

At a news conference on Monday, President Trump said he’s not meeting with Jacob Blake’s family in Wisconsin because the family wanted to involve lawyers. 

Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times by police in Kenosha, sparking demonstrations. Trump is set to visit Kenosha tomorrow.

The President said he and the pastor had “a great talk,” adding, “I may at some point do that, but they did have a lawyer that wanted to be on the phone and I said no. That’s inappropriate, but I did just give my best regards.” 

Jacob Blake’s father appeared on the Situation Room following Trump’s news conference and responded to Trump’s claim about speaking to his pastor.

“We don’t have a family pastor,” Jacob Blake Sr., said, “I don’t know who he talked to, I don’t care who he talked to,” he told CNN’s Jim Acosta.

Acosta asked the family’s attorney Ben Crump: “Mr. Blake didn’t seem to have any idea who the President is talking about when he talks about this pastor, are you aware of the White House making any attempts to speak to the family, speak to you, speak to anybody associated with this family?”

Crump said, “Yes, Miss Julia Jackson, Jacob’s mother, her pastor, pastor James, and attorney Salvi was trying to coordinate for the President to call while he was in communication with Miss Jackson and us, and she was ready to receive the phone call, but for some reason, the call never came. And we now understand why. I don’t know why the President wouldn’t want the family to have their lawyers on the phone. He seems to have lawyers with him when he talks to people.” 

During his news conference, Trump also defended his decision to visit Kenosha when asked by reporters if he had concerns that his trip to the city could exacerbate tensions.

“It could also increase enthusiasm. And it could increase love and respect for our country. And that is why I’m going,” Trump said.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote a letter Sunday asking Trump to reconsider his visit as the city continues to grapple with the unrest stemming from the police shooting of Blake.

Jacob Blake’s uncle, Justin Blake, told CNN’s Sara Sidner that “President Trump is a racist who stokes racial tensions. He has been stirring racial tensions since he got in the White House. Why, as Jacob’s uncle, would I want to talk to him? Our focus is on Jacob and healing the community.”

He said Jacob Blake’s father has told him he “has no interest in speaking with President Trump.” His only interest at the moment is his son’s well-being and getting justice.

He said he did not talk to Jacob Blake’s mother on the subject.

The President is not currently scheduled to meet with the Blake family while visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin, tomorrow.

Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether the President plans to meet with the family, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “Currently the plans are to meet with local law enforcement and some business owners, and he’ll survey the damage. But there will be more detailed plans forthcoming when they’re announced.”

Following up, asked if there are currently no plans to meet with Blake’s family, McEnany added, “Not currently.”

Earlier today, McEnany also said the administration has not yet been able to connect with the family of Blake.

 “We are efforting outreach,” McEnany said of the Blake family during an appearance on Fox News, but, she said, they “have not been able to connect yet.”

People march to the Kenosha County Courthouse on August 29 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

It’s been a little over a week since police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old father.

The shooting has sparked protests in Wisconsin and across the country. Here’s what you need to know about the case and its aftermath:

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Allegheny County Airport before speaking at a campaign event on August 31 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Asked by a reporter in Pittsburgh if he was going to visit Wisconsin, Biden said: “I’m checking it out now. We hope to be able to do that.”

Biden ignored a follow up about whether he believed Trump should be visiting Kenosha as planned. 

The President is planning to travel to the city tomorrow after Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote him a letter urging that he reconsider as Kenosha continues to grapple with racial unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

“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,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement Sunday night.

“President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild.”

The statement came hours after Evers wrote a letter to Trump outlining his concern about what the President’s presence “will mean for Kenosha and our state.”

National Guard troops patrol a street in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 27.

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said that the city’s curfew will continue for the rest of the week.

“The curfew will be continued through Tuesday night and then on Wednesday, it’ll be extended to 9 o’clock,” Antaramian said. 

The curfew currently begins at 7:00 p.m. local time or 8:00 p.m. ET.

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian speaks at a press conference on August 31. 

Officials in Kenosha, Wisconsin, noted that President Trump’s visit to the city is ill-timed and said the visit would utilize limited resources. 

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian reiterated that he felt “the timing is wrong.”

“You have a community that is in the process of trying to heal,” the mayor added.

Jim Kreuser, the Kenosha County Executive, also echoed that sentiment.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth noted that a visit by any major figure will create extra work for the department. 

Beth said that it wasn’t his place to comment on the visit and instead simply noted, “I know that he is coming and that we will do our best to protect him.”

Kreuser strongly pushed back on President Trump’s tweeted assertion that “there would be no Kenosha” if he hadn’t insisted on activating the National Guard.

“Kenosha is going to be on the comeback and for someone to say we wouldn’t exist but for their action, […] because I know things too, I just have to tell you what I believe the answer is and that’s false,” Kreuser said.

Neither the County Executive nor the mayor said they were aware of the plans for Trump’s visit or if they were meeting with him.

Jim Kreuser, the Kenosha County Executive, announced that he is adding body cameras for law enforcement to the upcoming budget at a press conference this afternoon. 

Remember: Jacob Blake was shot and critically injured last week by an officer with the Kenosha Police Department, not the Sheriff’s Department.

Last week, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said the Kenosha Police Department does not have body cameras. 

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on August 28.

President Trump said he watched Joe Biden’s speech Monday afternoon and accused the former vice president of “blaming the police” for protests and violence across the country.

“Just watched what Biden had to say,” Trump wrote on twitter. “To me, he’s blaming the Police far more than he’s blaming the Rioters, Anarchists, Agitators, and Looters, which he could never blame or he would lose the Radical Left Bernie supports!”

CNN’s Sarah Mucha reports the Democratic presidential nominee delivered a blistering condemnation of Trump in his remarks in Pittsburgh on Monday afternoon, calling him a “toxic presence” in our nation.

“Donald Trump has been a toxic presence in our nation for four years,” Biden said. “Poisoning how we talk to one another. Poisoning how we treat one another. Poisoning the values this nation has always held dear. Poisoning to our democracy.”

Taking the President and Republicans to task on the talking point that Americans will be unsafe in Biden’s America and painting him as a “radical leftist,” Biden once again pointed to the fact that Trump is currently the President.

He attempted to portray Trump as a leader who puts Americans’ safety at risk. Monday’s speech stands in stark contrast to his Democratic National Convention remarks, where he did not mention the President by name once. 

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on August 31.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden delivered a blistering condemnation of President Trump in his remarks in Pittsburg this afternoon, calling him a “toxic presence in our nation.”

“Will we rid ourselves of this toxin or will we make it a permanent part of our nation’s character?” Biden asked.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing on August 31 in Washington, DC.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to denounce armed vigilantes taking to the streets during a press briefing Monday. 

Asked if the White House believes that citizens should stop showing up in cities, especially ones they don’t live in, with weapons to protect buildings, McEnany didn’t directly answer. 

“We need to fund our police officers because they should be the ones out patrolling the streets,” McEnany added.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at campaign event on August, 31 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took the Trump campaign’s talking points that paint him as a “radical leftist” to task in his remarks in Pittsburgh Monday afternoon, saying “The road back begins now, in this campaign. You know me. You know my heart, and you know my story, my family’s story. Ask yourself: Do I look to you like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?” 

“He’s supposed to be protecting this country but instead he is rooting for chaos and violence,” Biden said of President Trump. 

He said he believes that if he were president currently, the country would be safer “and we’d be seeing a lot less violence.”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden decried the leadership of President Trump during the civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He blamed Trump for trying to “scare America” instead of protecting the country.

Biden also accused the President of not being able to stop the violence because for years “he’s fomented it.”

“Fires are burning, and we have a President who fans the flames rather than fighting the flames. But it must not burn. We have to build. This President long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it,” he said.

“It isn’t about my brand. It is about you, the American people. We can do better. And we have to do better. I promise you this. We will do better. You know, the road back begins now,” Biden said.

Watch:

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden began his remarks in Pittsburgh by declaring that President Trump “is incapable of telling us the truth, incapable of facing the facts. Incapable of healing.”

He went on to condemn violent protestors.

Biden said those who do it “should be prosecuted, plain and simple” and added that violence does not bring change.

Watch:

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Monday that there are not plans currently for President Trump to meet with the family of Jacob Blake while he’s in Kenosha, Wisconsin tomorrow. 

Following up, asked if there are currently no plans to meet with Blake’s family, McEnany added, “Not currently.” 

McEnany told another reporter that Trump was not willing to weigh in more on the incident involving Blake, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Nor would McEnany say whether Trump would take a side on the incident involving Kyle Rittenhouse, adding that an availability with reporters would take place with the President this afternoon.