The father of a black man shot by police has refused to “play politics” with his son’s life when Donald Trump visits the city of Kenosha on Tuesday. Jacob Blake’s shooting sparked a fresh wave of anti-racism protests in the US, prompting calls for President Trump to acknowledge him and his family.
The president will meet police officers on the visit, but not the Blake family. The visit comes with “law and order” becoming highly politicised ahead of the 3 November presidential election.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr, said his son’s life was more important than a meeting with President Trump.
“I’m not getting into politics. It’s all about my son, man. It has nothing to do with a photo op,” he said. Local officials have urged Mr Trump to not visit Kenosha, in the state of Wisconsin, fearing his presence in the city may reignite protests that have calmed down in recent days.
But Mr Trump has rejected their pleas, accusing Democratic mayors and governors of failing to get a grip on the violence as he bids to make law and order a key issue in his bid to a win a second term in the White House.
