The president’s campaign later said that Mr. Trump was responding to the question in Mr. Lockhart’s tweet, not to news reports, and followed up by calling on CNN to fire Mr. Lockhart, a contributor, for “knowingly pushing a conspiracy theory about President Trump’s health.” Mr. Trump has regularly pushed conspiracy theories about Mr. Biden’s health as he did about the health of the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. Just last week, Mr. Trump suggested Mr. Biden was on drugs and should be tested.
During his visit to Kenosha, the president included a pastor for Mr. Blake’s mother in a round-table discussion but made little mention of the shooting that touched off the unrest. “I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that,” Mr. Trump said mildly when asked about Mr. Blake. “As you know, it’s under investigation.”
Justin Blake, Jacob Blake’s uncle, said later that he was not surprised that Mr. Trump largely ignored his nephew, who remains in the hospital partly paralyzed.
“That’s our president,” Justin Blake said. “He’s been that from Day 1 when he came down the stairs and he was calling Hispanics murderers. He’s had nothing but foul things to say about African-Americans, in particular our women.”
Mr. Trump received a warmer reception from law enforcement officers. “Thank you for being the president that likes law enforcement,” Sheriff David Beth told him at the round table. “On behalf of law enforcement, I’m telling you the group that’s here, I hope you could feel the love that they have for you and everybody who came.”
The corner where Jacob Blake was shot turned into a festival on Tuesday, led by family members and activists who wanted to promote community healing. “We know why Trump is here in Kenosha today,” Tanya McLean, an organizer, told hundreds who gathered. “He is here to sow chaos and fear. We reject these attempts to divide us.”
Instead of upheaval, the gathering had the feel of a carnival, complete with bounce houses for children and the smell of grilled meat wafting through the air. Booths offered coronavirus testing, voter registration and reiki therapy while a D.J. played music.