On Saturday the White House announced that the president would go to Kenosha on Tuesday, where Jacob Blake was hit at close range by seven projectiles fired by a white police officer.
While we will have to wait a little longer before shedding light on these sad events, the demonstrations are increasing. Another individual died in Portland over the weekend as Donald Trump tweeted indiscriminately to support his supporters and criticize the work of elected Democrats.
The media are sometimes accused of sensationalizing and exaggerating tensions. On the contrary, I believe that the protests which have never ceased since the death of George Floyd have not obtained all the necessary coverage. Anger, legitimate, is roaring and protesters were still awaiting firm commitments or reforms when Jacob Blake was shot down.
During the last two evenings of the Republican convention, Mike Pence and the President took turns speaking to all Americans. Rather than stressing the division and the need for dialogue or less for reflection, they offered no answer but “law and order”.
As the election campaign is in full swing, Democrats and Republicans are using very different strategies and rhetoric. You can prefer one message or the other when registering your choice on November 3, but while waiting for polling day, it is to the current administration that we are looking for comfort, leadership and leads. of solution.
On Sunday alone, two influential politicians questioned Donald Trump’s contribution. First, the Mayor of Portland Ted Wheeler urged the president to support the authorities or leave them alone. By resorting to a very harsh formula, Wheeler holds Donald Trump responsible for the climate of hatred and violence which divides Americans: “It’s you who have created the hate and division”.
In Wisconsin, where the community of Kenosha is located, Governor Tony Evers implores Donald Trump not to show up on Tuesday. He fears that the president’s presence will hinder community efforts to calm things down and heal his wounds.
If we were going through a normal period, the President would plan his trips with local officials and we would rely heavily on his presence. Donald Trump is not welcome here and according to the lawyer for the parents of the victim, he would not even have discussed with the family.
What will the president say once there? So far his message of “law and order” is paying off and it enjoys a slight uptick in the polls. It seems that this new support is found in the suburbs, where Donald Trump dangled the nightmare of the election of Joe Biden.
Will the president depart from his game plan and a strategy that has served him quite well since entering politics? It should, however. We are not exaggerating when we talk about civil war. Especially not when we see every day the anger and violence as much on the left as on the right. We are not exaggerating when armed militiamen march too often without being worried by the authorities.
Two months separate us from the election in early November and controversies are increasing. The country has never got over the first wave of COVID-19, the economic situation is difficult, there are fears for the postal vote, there are concerns about a possible shortage of election workers and parts of the country are in the grip of a serious social crisis. Let us hope that by delivering his message the president can find a more empathetic formula than the only recourse to more police repression and more weapons.