US President Donald Trump has visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, to back law

enforcement after the police shooting of a black man sparked civil strife.

The Republican president blamed "domestic terror" for the "destruction" in the
Midwestern city.

Kenosha saw days of violence after police shot Jacob Blake in the back and left him
paralysed on 23 August.

Opinion polls show Mr Trump is narrowing Democratic rival Joe Biden's lead ahead of
November's election.

The president is pushing a strong "law and order" message. Mr Biden has accused Mr
Trump of stoking racial division.

"Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames rather than fighting the
flames," the former US vice-president said ahead of Tuesday's trip.

Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionPresident Trump denounced the violent protests after

he arrived in Kenosha

What did Trump say in Kenosha?

The president visited areas damaged in the protests, including a burnt-out furniture
store destroyed in the upheaval.
"These are not acts of peaceful protest, but really domestic terror," he told local
business leaders at a round table meeting in a high school gym.

Mr Trump defended the actions of US police and accused the media of focusing only on
"bad" incidents involving officers.

The president did show some empathy for those hurt in confrontations with police,
saying he felt "terribly for anybody who goes through that". But he said he did not
believe there was systemic racism in law enforcement.

Mr Trump said he sent the National Guard into Kenosha, though they were deployed by
Wisconsin's governor and supported by 200 federal law enforcement officials ordered in
by the president.

He also said his administration would provide nearly $4m (£3m) to help Kenosha
businesses that had been damaged in the riots and $1m for city law enforcement.

Demonstrators have accused outside agitators of violently hijacking their protests.

Kenosha police said at the weekend that 105 out of 175 suspects arrested during the
unrest came from outside the city.

Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionJacob Blake's father said his son was "holding on for
dear life"

Why didn't Trump meet the Blake family?

The president said he did not meet the Blake family because they had wanted lawyers
present.

Mr Trump instead said he was honoured to have the African-American co-pastors of Mr

Blake's mother at the roundtable.

Co-pastor Sharon Ward said: "I think it's important to have black people at the table to
help solve the problem."
Earlier in an interview with CNN, Mr Blake's father, Jacob Blake Snr, 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.

Mr Blake Snr said his son was still paralysed from the waist down, "holding on for dear
life".

Media captionJacob Blake's sister: 'I have been watching police murder people that look like me
for years'

A police officer shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back during an arrest as the 29-
year-old tried to get into a car where his three children were seated.
▪ Jacob Blake shooting: What we know
▪ Two incidents, two different police responses

How did Democrats react to the visit?

Mr Trump's visit to Kenosha went ahead despite appeals from the Democratic mayor
and governor to stay away.

Over the weekend Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said it was not a good time for Mr
Trump to visit.

"Realistically, from our perspective, our preference would have been for him not to be
coming at this point in time," he told National Public Radio.

Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Tony Evers also warned against the visit, saying it
would "hinder our healing".

Congressman Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat who grew up in Kenosha, said on

Twitter the president visited the city "to spread hate".

President Trump flew straight into the latest hotspot in this incendiary summer of racial
reckoning, even though the governor asked him not to come.

Democrats have accused the president of fanning the flames of unrest.

He has focused on the violence that's accompanied some protests rather than the
grievances of the anti-racism demonstrators.

Mr Trump told us he thought his message was helping to bridge racial divides because
black and Hispanic Americans were also against crime and he was about "law and
order".

Almost certainly the president sees a political opportunity by visiting this Midwestern
town in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin.

Kenosha has emerged as the new epicentre of the debate over race and violence and
how each presidential candidate will handle this explosive issue.