#Trump says ‘law and order’ will heal racial tensions ahead of Kenosha visit

President Trump on Tuesday said that his focus on “law and order” would heal racial divisions as he prepared to tour riot damage in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Trump was responding to a reporter on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews who asked if he was helping heal racial divisions following months of anti-police brutality protests.

“I think it’s helping because I’m about law and order,” Trump said. “And if you look at the black community, they want the police to help them stop crime. The Hispanic community, they want police — 82 percent, 84 percent, numbers if you haven’t even seen. They don’t want crime. They don’t want to be mugged. They don’t want to have any problems.”

Trump told reporters he’s unsure if he will meet with the family of Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back on Aug. 23 following a struggle with Kenosha police, sparking days of widespread arson and looting. Blake, 29, survived, but may be paralyzed.

“One of the reasons I’m making the trip today and going to Wisconsin is we’ve had such a big success,” Trump said. “[Kenosha] would have been burned to the ground by now. And we’re going to really say hello to law enforcement and the National Guard. And it all stopped immediately upon the National Guard’s arrival.”

Trump, who last week deployed 200 federal agents to the small city, said that he was unsure of whether he would be meeting with members of Blake’s family, but he said that he planned to meet with a pastor associated with Blake’s mother.

The president also slammed Portland, Ore., Mayor Ted Wheeler after footage circulated of demonstrators surrounding the Democrat’s home this week. Portland has had sustained violent unrest since the May killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police.

“I saw last night where these radical anarchists were trying to get into the mayor’s house and lots of bad things were happening, to this poor foolish very stupid mayor,” Trump said. “I mean how he could be mayor, I have no idea. But all he has to do is call and within 10 minutes their problem will be over.”