Jacob Blake: what have Donald Trump and Joe Biden said about the Kenosha shooting?
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden issued a statement condemning the shooting of unarmed Jacob Blake. There has been no response yet from Trump.
Several political figures in the United States have given their thoughts on the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake by Kenosha Police Department officers. Blake was unarmed when he was shot several times in the back by police officers on Sunday evening.
Biden speaks out
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned the shooting by posting a message on his official Twitter account and later issued a statement. Biden tweeted, “Yesterday, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by police. His kids watched from the car. Today, we woke to grieve yet again. We need a full and transparent investigation”.
Later on Monday, Biden issued a three-paragraph statement on his personal campaign website deploring what he described as “systemic racism" in police departments across the U.S. and called for justice to be served.
Joe Biden’s statement on Jacob Blake shooting
“Yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back as police attempted to restrain him from getting into his car. His children watched from inside the car and bystanders watched in disbelief. And this morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force. This calls for an immediate, full and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable.
These shots pierce the soul of our nation. Jill and I pray for Jacob’s recovery and for his children.
Equal justice has not been real for Black Americans and so many others. We are at an inflection point. We must dismantle systemic racism. It is the urgent task before us. We must fight to honor the ideals laid in the original American promise, which we are yet to attain: That all men and women are created equal, but more importantly that they must be treated equally”.
Kamala Harris calls for an investigation
Biden’s running mate for the 2020 U.S. elections Kamala Harris also took to Twitter to echo his sentiments, pinning her message to her personal account. She wrote, “Jacob Blake should not be fighting for his life right now. As Joe Biden said, there must be an immediate investigation and the officers involved should be held accountable. Jacob, our nation is praying for you and your entire family”.
No word from Trump on Jacob Blake shooting
As of Tuesday, there still had been no word from the White House on Blake’s shooting. President Trump has yet to comment and is expected to be given full details about the case before going public. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows explained, "I am certain he will be briefed on the full matter as he is on each and every matter. It's too early to tell in terms of what actually happened from what I was briefed on. Obviously the video tells a story that is troubling and yet, at the same time, we'll get a full briefing within the next couple of hours”.