KENOSHA — The City of Kenosha Mayor and County Executive both expressed their feelings on President Trump’s planned visit to Kenosha.
“It’s not the ideal time,” County Executive Jim Kreuser said. “There is a crisis going on in our community. Things are relatively calm. I hope it stays that way.”
During Monday’s press conference in Kenosha, officials remarked on how calm things have been in the last five days.
“We’ve had several days of peace,” Sheriff David Beth said. “The last five days have been closer to normal for Kenosha.”
The President mentioned Kenosha in a tweet Monday morning; saying in part, “If I didn’t INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now.”
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2020
Kreuser took exception to the President’s notion that he saved Kenosha.
“For someone to say we wouldn’t' exist, but for their action, when I believe it to be false, I just have to tell you what I believe the answer is,” Kreuser said. “That’s false.”
Wisconsin National Guard Major General Paul Knapp spoke about how the National Guard is called to action, saying it’s a governor to governor action.
“What I want to re-emphasize is, the process is actually a governor to governor compact,” Knapp said. “We already started talking to other states. It’s one of the things we do right away during this. It’s common practice and expected. That’s how it went. Under these compacts between governors, that sends service members from other states here to Wisconsin and they’re under my operational control here on the ground.”
During Monday’s press conference, Kenosha Police Chief Dan Miskinis was not in attendance. He is helping coordinate logistics for the President’s visit. The other members in attendance say they have no idea what the President’s visit will entail. Mayor John Antaramian echoed County Executive Kreuser’s comments; it’s just not the right time after things have started to get back to normal.
“I felt, the timing was wrong,” Antaramian said. “We always have room for presidents to visit, candidates to visit. That’s the process you have and something we appreciate and have people do but the timing on this is not good. We did make a request for him to do it at a different time. You have a community in the process of trying to heal. So many things are going on in the community. It would be better for us to pull together, get the community together and heal up the process of what’s going on and dealing with concerns we have that need to be addressed.”
