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Are presidential visits to areas in crisis worth it?

President Trump is visiting Kenosha even though local leaders object
Donald Trump, Joe Biden
Posted at 4:36 PM, Sep 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-01 17:38:16-04

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday -- a city still reeling from social unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Democratic Nominee Joe Biden has not visited yet although he said he was looking into it on Monday.

Trump's visit to Kenosha comes days after the president stopped in Louisiana following the landfall of Hurricane Laura.

But do presidential visits during a crisis help or hurt the community?

"If I was doing his security, I would advise against it," Grant Whitus, a retired SWAT team leader in Colorado said.

Whitus has protected presidents in the past and is a Trump supporter. Whitus says when a president comes to town, hundreds of officers need to be reassigned.

"Their resources are already stretched to the max trying to deal with this," Whitus added.

Many Wisconsin leaders feel the same way. Gov. Tony Evers (D) of Wisconsin wrote to the president unsuccessfully asking him to cancel his trip.

Visits to areas in crisis have been a signature of Trump's since taking office.

During his 2016 campaign, Trump visited Louisiana and their flood devastation a full four days before siting President Barack Obama made the trip.

When asked if Trump was visiting Kenosha for political reasons, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said no.

"The president is showing up to see hurting Americans," McEnany said.

There may be a bit of politics involved, however.

As WTMJ's Charles Benson writes, Trump only won Kenosha County by 255 votes in 2016.