usatoday--2020-08-28--Donald Trump rips Joe Biden as a threat to the American Dream and other takeaways from the RNC's fin

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to rebuild the pandemic-battered economy , confront China , hire more police officers and crack down on border security as he accepted his party 's nomination for a second term .
Capping off the four-day convention that nominated him and Vice President Mike Pence on the Nov. 3 ballot , the president devoted much of his speech to attacking his rival Joe Biden , calling him a `` destroyer '' of jobs who has nothing to offer laid-off workers but `` hollow words of empathy . ''
While he spoke , a mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family members and allies – who gathered on the South Lawn of the White House cheered him on , occasionally serenading him with a chant of `` Four More Years . ''
`` At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties , two visions , two philosophies , or two agendas , '' Trump said .
`` This election will decide whether we save the American Dream , or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny . ''
He also promised to crush the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 180,000 Americans but offered no specifics beyond a prediction that a vaccine would be available before the end of the year .
The scene had the air of a campaign rally that Trump use to hold before the COVID-19 pandemic .
Electronic Trump-Pence banners flanked the stage before the convention broadcast .
Red , white , and blue bunting festooned the stage .
Protesters gathered beyond the White House gates to try and disrupt the event with music and chants .
His daughter , Ivanka , introduced him as a `` warrior , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former reality television embraces .
`` Washington has not changed Donald Trump , '' Ivanka Trump said before introducing him .
`` Donald Trump has changed Washington . ''
Here are several other key moments from Thursday night : Trump made his case for a second term by arguing that while he has delivered on the promises he made four years ago , much work still needs to be done .
He promised that with the help of Americans from all walks of life , the next four years will write “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ For America , nothing is impossible , ” he said .
Trump ’ s tone at times was upbeat and positive , other times foreboding and pessimistic .
He promised during his second term to “ again build the greatest economy in history , ” lead the country into new frontiers of ambition and discovery and rekindle faith in American values and pride in the nation ’ s history .
But he also warned of darkness ahead if Biden is elected in November .
“ Everything we have achieved is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upcoming election the most important in the history of the country .
“ This election will decide whether we save the American Dream , or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny , ” Trump said .
He attacked Biden repeatedly , arguing the former vice president had sold out America ’ s interests to China and other foreign countries and that he had assailed America as a land of “ racial , economic and social injustice.
” Trump cast Biden ’ s decades in government as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shameful roll call of the most catastrophic betrayals and blunders in our lifetime.
” He blamed the policies that Biden supported for the loss of jobs , and said laid-off workers “ did n't want Joe Biden 's hollow words of empathy , they wanted their jobs back.
” “ Joe Biden is not a savior of America 's soul , ” Trump said .
“ He is the destroyer of America 's Jobs , and if given the chance , he will be the destroyer of American Greatness.
” In contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-elected , he would create jobs , continue to reduce taxes and regulations , hire more police officers , protect the nation ’ s borders and keep the country out of “ endless and costly foreign wars.
” In a reference to the at-times violent protests across dozens of the nation ’ s cities , Trump said the next election will decide “ whether we protect law-abiding Americans or whether we give free reign to violent anarchists , agitators , and criminals who threaten our citizens.
” If he ’ s given a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world that , for America , no dream is beyond our reach , ” he said .
“ Together , we are unstoppable.
” Ivanka Trump says her dad gets results even if his style is n't 'to everyone 's taste' Ivanka Trump offered a peek into her time with the president during some of the biggest decisions he has made over his first term .
She touted his record and the policies the administration has worked for that she says help women and families .
But she also acknowledged the trait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bluntness that has both turned off some voters and attracted others to his side .
`` I recognize that my dad 's communication style is not to everyone 's taste .
And I know that his tweets can feel a bit unfiltered .
But the results , '' Ivanka Trump said from a red , white and blue stage on the South Lawn of the White House .
`` The results speak for themselves . ''
She chronicled how the president has taken on the establishment in Washington , refusing to take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ire of both parties .
`` For the first time in a long time , we have a president who has called out Washington 's hypocrisy and they hate him for it , '' she said .
`` Dad , people attack you for being unconventional , but I love you for being real .
And I respect you for being effective . ''
She ended : `` Now more than ever , America needs four more years of a warrior in the White House . ''
Former New York City Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , slammed Democrats with a familiar refrain throughout the convention that focused on violence in cities where there have been anti-police brutality protests .
“ Don ’ t let Democrats do to America what they have done to New York !
” he said .
But Giuliani went further , accusing Democrats of refusing to negotiate a compromise on policing reform in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
`` They had a president to beat and a country to destroy , and although a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality would be very valuable for the country , it would also make President Trump appear to be an effective leader , '' Giuliani said .
Fact checking night 3 of the RNC : On Night 3 , speakers offer compelling but sometimes misleading stories '' So , ( Black Lives Matter ) and Antifa sprang into action and , in a flash , they hijacked the protests into vicious , brutal riots , '' he said .
`` These continuous riots in Democrat cities gives you a good view of the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has pointed out that the violence is playing out under Trump 's watch , not under a Democratic president .
Rep. Van Drew says Democratic party has drifted too far left Democrats used their convention last week to highlight a number of high-profile Republicans who were endorsing Joe Biden : former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , former New Jersey Gov .
Christie Todd Whitman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell , among them .
On Thursday , it was Trump ’ s turn to showcase at least one prominent former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Jeff Van Drew , R-N.J. , who switched his party affiliation to the GOP in December , joined the lineup of GOP speakers who said Democrats were pursuing a `` radical , Socialist agenda . ''
`` Republicans , Independents , and even Democrats , they all know that in President Trump 's America , we have a strong military , strong support for our police , strong support for our veterans and seniors , '' the freshman congressman said .
`` In President Trump 's America , we have a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're energy independent and protect our environment , '' he said .
`` There are a lot of Democrats who support our President ... and are disgusted for what their old party – what my old party – has become . ''
Before the congressman spoke , a video of former Democratic voters talked about why they support Trump to promote the message that the president appeals to those who feel the party no longer represents them .
Impeachment : Here 's how fallout of Trump 's impeachment changed the future of 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was one of only two Democrats to break ranks and vote against both articles of impeachment against Trump last fall .
It was the backlash from Democrats over those anti-impeachment votes that helped prompt him to leave the Democratic Party after decades as a local and state office holder .
Democrat Amy Kennedy , who is running against Van Drew in November , dismissed him as an opportunist .
“ My message to the people of South Jersey is … do n't be fooled , ” she said in a statement issued after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Jeff has changed .
He made the choice to abandon the people of South Jersey to serve his own political career instead of the families he was elected to represent.
” Capitol Hill 's top Republicans reminded convention watchers that the Nov. 3 election is about more than just Trump 's bid for a second term .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who made headlines last week after his campaign issued conflicting statements over whether he would appear at the RNC , described his chamber as `` the firewall against Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic-led House .
`` Like President Trump , we won ’ t be bullied by a liberal media intent on destroying America ’ s institutions , '' he said .
`` The stakes have never been higher .
Which is why I ’ m asking you to support Republican Senate candidates across the country and re-elect my friend , President Donald Trump.
” McConnell has acknowledged the tough fight Republicans face in the lead up to November to keep their slim 53-47 majority in the Senate .
Polling shows Democratic candidates are ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in states such as Maine , Arizona and Colorado .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. , who faces an even tougher battle in attempting to take back dozens of House seats now under Democratic control , offered an aspirational message about America and the president 's work over his first term .
`` As Republicans , it ’ s our mission to renew the American dream , restore our way of life and rebuild the greatest economy in the world , '' McCarthy said .
`` The socialist Democrats have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remember the differences between parties .
`` As you cast your vote this November , remember this : Four years ago , President Trump promised to be your voice .
He kept that promise but there still so much more to do , '' he said .
`` The choice before you could not be clearer .
Forward in freedom , or backward in socialism . ''
Like any police officer 's spouse , Ann Dorn was always fearful her husband Dave , a St. Louis Metropolitan police captain , would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When he retired after 44 years in law enforcement , she breathed a sigh of relief .
Until that fateful night in June when her 77-year-old husband was killed while responding to an alarm at a friend 's pawnshop during anti-police riots in the streets .
`` I re-live that horror in my mind every single day , '' Ann Dorn said , wiping away tears .
`` My hope is that having you re-live it with me now will help shake this country from the nightmare we are witnessing in our cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` How did we get to this point where so many young people are so callous and indifferent towards human life ?
This isn ’ t a video game where you can commit mayhem and then hit “ reset ” and bring all the characters back to life , '' she said .
`` David is never coming back .
He was murdered by people who didn ’ t know , and just didn ’ t care , that he would have done anything to help them . ''
As part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured police and their families throughout the four days of the convention to highlight the human faces behind law enforcement officers .
After Dorn spoke , the head of New York City 's Police Benevolent Association said Trump would do a much better job than Biden to protect officers and victims .
`` It has never been harder to be a police officer in this country , '' said Pat Lynch , whose organization represents 50,000 active and retired New York City police officers .
`` But there are two things that keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims , the vulnerable , the regular working people who count on us .
We know we can ’ t let them down .
And we hear the words of our President , who says to cops everywhere “ I will never let you down .
”

Christal Hayes, Ledyard King and Michael Collins, USA TODAY

Donald Trump rips Joe Biden as a threat to the American Dream and other takeaways from the RNC's final night
Show Caption Hide Caption Pres. Trump accepts nomination: 'For America, nothing is impossible' President Donald Trump accepts the Republican presidential nomination with a speech expressing American excellence. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to rebuild the pandemic-battered economy, confront China, hire more police officers and crack down on border security as he accepted his party's nomination for a second term.
Capping off the four-day convention that nominated him and Vice President Mike Pence on the Nov. 3 ballot, the president devoted much of his speech to attacking his rival Joe Biden, calling him a "destroyer" of jobs who has nothing to offer laid-off workers but "hollow words of empathy."
While he spoke, a mostly maskless audience of hundreds – staffers, family members and allies – who gathered on the South Lawn of the White House cheered him on, occasionally serenading him with a chant of "Four More Years."
RNC live: President Trump accepts Republican nomination, attacks Biden on foreign policy, trade and economy
"At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies, or two agendas," Trump said. "This election will decide whether we save the American Dream, or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny."
He also promised to crush the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 Americans but offered no specifics beyond a prediction that a vaccine would be available before the end of the year.
The scene had the air of a campaign rally that Trump use to hold before the COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic Trump-Pence banners flanked the stage before the convention broadcast. Red, white, and blue bunting festooned the stage. Protesters gathered beyond the White House gates to try and disrupt the event with music and chants.
His daughter, Ivanka, introduced him as a "warrior," a personna the bombastic businessman and former reality television embraces.
"Washington has not changed Donald Trump," Ivanka Trump said before introducing him. "Donald Trump has changed Washington."
Here are several other key moments from Thursday night:
Trump touts his record, rips Biden in speech
Trump made his case for a second term by arguing that while he has delivered on the promises he made four years ago, much work still needs to be done.
He promised that with the help of Americans from all walks of life, the next four years will write “the next chapter of the Great American Story.”
“For America, nothing is impossible,” he said.
Trump’s tone at times was upbeat and positive, other times foreboding and pessimistic.
He promised during his second term to “again build the greatest economy in history,” lead the country into new frontiers of ambition and discovery and rekindle faith in American values and pride in the nation’s history.
But he also warned of darkness ahead if Biden is elected in November.
“Everything we have achieved is now endangered,” he said, calling the upcoming election the most important in the history of the country.
“This election will decide whether we save the American Dream, or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny,” Trump said.
He attacked Biden repeatedly, arguing the former vice president had sold out America’s interests to China and other foreign countries and that he had assailed America as a land of “racial, economic and social injustice.”
Trump cast Biden’s decades in government as a senator and vice president as “a shameful roll call of the most catastrophic betrayals and blunders in our lifetime.” He blamed the policies that Biden supported for the loss of jobs, and said laid-off workers “didn't want Joe Biden's hollow words of empathy, they wanted their jobs back.”
“Joe Biden is not a savior of America's soul,” Trump said. “He is the destroyer of America's Jobs, and if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of American Greatness.”
In contrast, Trump promised that if he’s re-elected, he would create jobs, continue to reduce taxes and regulations, hire more police officers, protect the nation’s borders and keep the country out of “endless and costly foreign wars.”
In a reference to the at-times violent protests across dozens of the nation’s cities, Trump said the next election will decide “whether we protect law-abiding Americans or whether we give free reign to violent anarchists, agitators, and criminals who threaten our citizens.”
If he’s given a second term, “we will show the world that, for America, no dream is beyond our reach,” he said. “Together, we are unstoppable.”
Ivanka Trump says her dad gets results even if his style isn't 'to everyone's taste'
Ivanka Trump offered a peek into her time with the president during some of the biggest decisions he has made over his first term. She touted his record and the policies the administration has worked for that she says help women and families.
But she also acknowledged the trait that sets her father apart: the bluntness that has both turned off some voters and attracted others to his side.
"I recognize that my dad's communication style is not to everyone's taste. And I know that his tweets can feel a bit unfiltered. But the results," Ivanka Trump said from a red, white and blue stage on the South Lawn of the White House. "The results speak for themselves."
RNC: Ivanka Trump: the president 'has changed Washington' Daughter and advisor to the president, Ivanka Trump highlights his convictions at the Republican National Convention. USA TODAY
She chronicled how the president has taken on the establishment in Washington, refusing to take a typical path that has at times drawn the ire of both parties.
"For the first time in a long time, we have a president who has called out Washington's hypocrisy and they hate him for it," she said. "Dad, people attack you for being unconventional, but I love you for being real. And I respect you for being effective."
She ended: "Now more than ever, America needs four more years of a warrior in the White House."
Giuliani blames Democrats for violence in cities
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a close Trump confidant, slammed Democrats with a familiar refrain throughout the convention that focused on violence in cities where there have been anti-police brutality protests.
“Don’t let Democrats do to America what they have done to New York!” he said.
But Giuliani went further, accusing Democrats of refusing to negotiate a compromise on policing reform in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
"They had a president to beat and a country to destroy, and although a bipartisan coalition agreeing on action against police brutality would be very valuable for the country, it would also make President Trump appear to be an effective leader," Giuliani said.
Fact checking night 3 of the RNC: On Night 3, speakers offer compelling but sometimes misleading stories
"So, (Black Lives Matter) and Antifa sprang into action and, in a flash, they hijacked the protests into vicious, brutal riots," he said. "These continuous riots in Democrat cities gives you a good view of the future under Biden."
Biden’s campaign has pointed out that the violence is playing out under Trump's watch, not under a Democratic president.
Rep. Van Drew says Democratic party has drifted too far left
Democrats used their convention last week to highlight a number of high-profile Republicans who were endorsing Joe Biden: former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, among them.
On Thursday, it was Trump’s turn to showcase at least one prominent former Democrat who is now backing him.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who switched his party affiliation to the GOP in December, joined the lineup of GOP speakers who said Democrats were pursuing a "radical, Socialist agenda."
"Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats, they all know that in President Trump's America, we have a strong military, strong support for our police, strong support for our veterans and seniors," the freshman congressman said.
"In President Trump's America, we have a strong supply chain, good schools, we're energy independent and protect our environment," he said. "There are a lot of Democrats who support our President ... and are disgusted for what their old party – what my old party – has become."
Before the congressman spoke, a video of former Democratic voters talked about why they support Trump to promote the message that the president appeals to those who feel the party no longer represents them.
Impeachment: Here's how fallout of Trump's impeachment changed the future of 2 lawmakers
As a Democrat, Van Drew was one of only two Democrats to break ranks and vote against both articles of impeachment against Trump last fall. It was the backlash from Democrats over those anti-impeachment votes that helped prompt him to leave the Democratic Party after decades as a local and state office holder.
Democrat Amy Kennedy, who is running against Van Drew in November, dismissed him as an opportunist.
“My message to the people of South Jersey is … don't be fooled,” she said in a statement issued after he spoke. “The truth is that Jeff has changed. He made the choice to abandon the people of South Jersey to serve his own political career instead of the families he was elected to represent.”
McConnell: GOP-controlled Senate is 'firewall against Nancy Pelosi's agenda'
Capitol Hill's top Republicans reminded convention watchers that the Nov. 3 election is about more than just Trump's bid for a second term.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who made headlines last week after his campaign issued conflicting statements over whether he would appear at the RNC, described his chamber as "the firewall against Nancy Pelosi’s agenda" in the Democratic-led House.
"Like President Trump, we won’t be bullied by a liberal media intent on destroying America’s institutions," he said. "The stakes have never been higher. Which is why I’m asking you to support Republican Senate candidates across the country and re-elect my friend, President Donald Trump.”
McConnell has acknowledged the tough fight Republicans face in the lead up to November to keep their slim 53-47 majority in the Senate. Polling shows Democratic candidates are ahead of a number of incumbent Republican senators in states such as Maine, Arizona and Colorado.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who faces an even tougher battle in attempting to take back dozens of House seats now under Democratic control, offered an aspirational message about America and the president's work over his first term.
"As Republicans, it’s our mission to renew the American dream, restore our way of life and rebuild the greatest economy in the world," McCarthy said. "The socialist Democrats have a different agenda."
He urged voters to remember the differences between parties.
"As you cast your vote this November, remember this: Four years ago, President Trump promised to be your voice. He kept that promise but there still so much more to do," he said. "The choice before you could not be clearer. Forward in freedom, or backward in socialism."
Ann Dorn, police captain's widow makes tearful plea for peaceful change
Like any police officer's spouse, Ann Dorn was always fearful her husband Dave, a St. Louis Metropolitan police captain, would be hurt in the line of duty. When he retired after 44 years in law enforcement, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Until that fateful night in June when her 77-year-old husband was killed while responding to an alarm at a friend's pawnshop during anti-police riots in the streets.
"I re-live that horror in my mind every single day," Ann Dorn said, wiping away tears. "My hope is that having you re-live it with me now will help shake this country from the nightmare we are witnessing in our cities and bring about positive, peaceful change."
"How did we get to this point where so many young people are so callous and indifferent towards human life? This isn’t a video game where you can commit mayhem and then hit “reset” and bring all the characters back to life," she said. "David is never coming back. He was murdered by people who didn’t know, and just didn’t care, that he would have done anything to help them."
As part of their law-and-order agenda, Republicans have featured police and their families throughout the four days of the convention to highlight the human faces behind law enforcement officers.
After Dorn spoke, the head of New York City's Police Benevolent Association said Trump would do a much better job than Biden to protect officers and victims.
"It has never been harder to be a police officer in this country," said Pat Lynch, whose organization represents 50,000 active and retired New York City police officers. "But there are two things that keep us going: We look at the victims, the vulnerable, the regular working people who count on us. We know we can’t let them down. And we hear the words of our President, who says to cops everywhere “I will never let you down.”
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and David Jackson
RNC: Ben Carson defends Trump against claims of racism HUD Secretary Ben Carson delivers remarks at the Republican National Convention defending Donald Trump against claims of racism. USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-28--RNC: Ivanka Trump: 'Washington has not changed Donald Trump'

Daughter and advisor to the president , Ivanka Trump highlights his convictions at the Republican National Convention .

RNC: Ivanka Trump: the president 'has changed Washington'
Daughter and advisor to the president, Ivanka Trump highlights his convictions at the Republican National Convention.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-29--Report: New York tenants were not aware they would be featured at the Republican National Convention

Tenants of New York City housing who were featured in a video at the Republican National Convention said they were not made aware how the video was going to be used , according to The New York Times .
Three of the four people featured in the video told the Times that they were misled into appearing before the convention .
The video was used to criticize New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio , a Democrat who also sought his party 's nomination , and his handling of public housing , and to attribute funding and improvements to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump supporter , ” Claudia Perez told the Times in an interview .
She said she was upset about the deception but stood by her criticisms of the city 's housing issues .
Lynne Patton , who is a Department of Housing and Urban Development official overseeing the region including New York and New Jersey , told a tenants ' group leader at the New York City Housing Authority she wanted to speak to tenants about the poor condition of buildings , the Times reported .
Perez was reached by another leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview .
'Have it both ways ' : Trump makes appeal to suburban voters and base in RNC balancing act Patton questioned the tenants for more than four hours , and only afterward were they told the video was for the Republican Party , without letting on that it would be part of the convention , Perez told the Times .
Patton denied that she misled the participants in a statement to the outlet .
`` Each participated regardless of political party because they recognized the importance of having a voice on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have transpired under this administration , '' Patton said .
Patton spoke during the 2016 Republican National Convention and was also vice president of the Eric Trump Foundation .
Patton said in her statement that the White House had reviewed the video and cleared it of any potential violations of the Hatch Act , which prohibits federal government employees from engaging in partisan political activities .
But Patton 's statement means that White House employees would have participated in planning for the convention .
Patton herself was warned about Hatch Act violations by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , CNN reported , over social media activity .
She also posted on Facebook earlier last year that `` I honestly do n't care anymore '' whether a retweet from her professional account violated the Hatch Act .
This year 's Republican National Convention was highly criticized for its use of the White House as a backdrop for political speeches and the inclusion of officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as key speakers .
RNC : Trump criticized for using White House as a backdrop for the convention The tenants who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only people featured in videos during the convention who said they were n't given a heads up .
Two of the five new citizens featured in a naturalization ceremony video streamed during the convention said also they did n't know it would be shown .
Sudha Narayanan and Neimat Awadelseid told the Wall Street Journal that not only were they not told the ceremony would be shown during the convention on Tuesday night , but they were not informed Trump would be attending the ceremony until just before it started .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the video .
Manny Martinez , who was featured in the housing video , told the Times `` This was not an endorsement of Trump . ''
Quiñones told the Times that she wished she had been told how the video would be used ahead of time , and that she plans to vote for Joe Biden in November .
She said she realized the video was being made for the Republican Party after questions had already begun .
She decided to use the opportunity to discuss housing issues under de Blasio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not about party , but for us to make the national stage .
They were the only ones that offered .
My own party didn ’ t offer , '' Quiñones said .
De Blasio 's press secretary Bill Neidhardt tweeted on Thursday that the video `` is a cynical attempt to pit Black Americans against immigrants .
It 's wrong . ''
`` After decades of disinvestment , Mayor de Blasio has made historic investments in '' the New York City Housing Authority , Neidhardt said .
Patton tweeted after the publication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the outlet was `` blatantly & biasly disparaging a video that celebrates the undeniable improvements and increased funding made to the largest & most distesssed public housing authority in the country under this Administration . ''
She claimed that each of the residents included in the video had thanked Trump and the `` RNC platform '' in unused portions of their interviews , and that she `` showed the video - in full - to the resident organizer PRIOR to its airing & was told by them that it was 'amazing ' @ @ @ @ @ @

Report: New York tenants were not aware they would be featured at the Republican National Convention
Show Caption Hide Caption Pres. Trump accepts nomination: 'For America, nothing is impossible' President Donald Trump accepts the Republican presidential nomination with a speech expressing American excellence. USA TODAY
Tenants of New York City housing who were featured in a video at the Republican National Convention said they were not made aware how the video was going to be used, according to The New York Times.
Three of the four people featured in the video told the Times that they were misled into appearing before the convention. The video was used to criticize New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat who also sought his party's nomination, and his handling of public housing, and to attribute funding and improvements to the Trump administration.
"I am not a Trump supporter,” Claudia Perez told the Times in an interview. She said she was upset about the deception but stood by her criticisms of the city's housing issues.
Lynne Patton, who is a Department of Housing and Urban Development official overseeing the region including New York and New Jersey, told a tenants' group leader at the New York City Housing Authority she wanted to speak to tenants about the poor condition of buildings, the Times reported. Perez was reached by another leader, Carmen Quiñones, to join the interview.
'Have it both ways': Trump makes appeal to suburban voters and base in RNC balancing act
Patton questioned the tenants for more than four hours, and only afterward were they told the video was for the Republican Party, without letting on that it would be part of the convention, Perez told the Times. Patton denied that she misled the participants in a statement to the outlet.
"Each participated regardless of political party because they recognized the importance of having a voice on the national stage and the undeniable improvements that have transpired under this administration," Patton said.
Patton spoke during the 2016 Republican National Convention and was also vice president of the Eric Trump Foundation.
Patton said in her statement that the White House had reviewed the video and cleared it of any potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal government employees from engaging in partisan political activities. But Patton's statement means that White House employees would have participated in planning for the convention.
Patton herself was warned about Hatch Act violations by the Office of Special Counsel last year, CNN reported, over social media activity. She also posted on Facebook earlier last year that "I honestly don't care anymore" whether a retweet from her professional account violated the Hatch Act.
This year's Republican National Convention was highly criticized for its use of the White House as a backdrop for political speeches and the inclusion of officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as key speakers.
RNC: Trump criticized for using White House as a backdrop for the convention
The tenants who were surprised by their inclusion were not the only people featured in videos during the convention who said they weren't given a heads up. Two of the five new citizens featured in a naturalization ceremony video streamed during the convention said also they didn't know it would be shown.
Sudha Narayanan and Neimat Awadelseid told the Wall Street Journal that not only were they not told the ceremony would be shown during the convention on Tuesday night, but they were not informed Trump would be attending the ceremony until just before it started. The two said they did not mind being shown in the video.
Manny Martinez, who was featured in the housing video, told the Times "This was not an endorsement of Trump."
Quiñones told the Times that she wished she had been told how the video would be used ahead of time, and that she plans to vote for Joe Biden in November. She said she realized the video was being made for the Republican Party after questions had already begun. She decided to use the opportunity to discuss housing issues under de Blasio.
"For me, this was not about party, but for us to make the national stage. They were the only ones that offered. My own party didn’t offer," Quiñones said.
De Blasio's press secretary Bill Neidhardt tweeted on Thursday that the video "is a cynical attempt to pit Black Americans against immigrants. It's wrong."
"After decades of disinvestment, Mayor de Blasio has made historic investments in" the New York City Housing Authority, Neidhardt said.
Patton tweeted after the publication of The New York Times' report that the outlet was "blatantly & biasly disparaging a video that celebrates the undeniable improvements and increased funding made to the largest & most distesssed public housing authority in the country under this Administration."
She claimed that each of the residents included in the video had thanked Trump and the "RNC platform" in unused portions of their interviews, and that she "showed the video - in full - to the resident organizer PRIOR to its airing & was told by them that it was 'amazing' & 'wholly accurate.'"


usatoday--2020-08-29--'They stoke the flames': As thousands march on Washington, Trump blames media for sowing 'racial hat

WASHINGTON – On the same day that thousands of protesters marched in Washington to demand an end to racism , President Donald Trump accused the media of stoking racial divisions Friday in his first campaign stop after formally accepting his party ’ s nomination for a second term .
Trump told supporters at a rally at an airport hangar near Manchester , New Hampshire , that `` radical Democrats '' and news organizations are tearing the country apart .
“ There 's so much racial hatred , and it 's put there by CNN , by MSDNC , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MSNBC .
`` They stoke the flames , and they know it , '' he said .
`` The good news is their ratings are n't great . ''
Trump 's remarks in New Hampshire came just hours after he formally accepted his party ’ s nomination for a second term with a renomination speech and made-for-television spectacle on the White House South Lawn , capping off the Republican National Convention .
Trump 's remarks came on the same day that thousands converged on Washington to demand long-lasting change to end systemic racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black people this year that have fueled nationwide protests .
The Get Your Knee Off Our Necks Commitment March on Washington , organized by Rev .
Al Sharpton , marked the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington where the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his `` I Have A Dream '' speech .
Trump on Thursday night formally accepted his party 's nomination for reelection in an event filled with pomp and circumstance .
In a 70-minute address at the White House , Trump boasted about parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in office and promised that , if given a second term , he would “ again build the greatest economy in history , ” lead the nation into new frontiers and rekindle faith in American values .
But he also delivered a series of dark , blistering attacks against Democratic challenger Joe Biden , calling the former vice president “ a destroyer of jobs ” and a “ Trojan horse for socialism '' – a blistering attack that he repeated Friday in New Hampshire .
'The results speak for themselves ' : What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their father at the RNC In remarks often interrupted by chants of `` four more years , '' Trump claimed that the Democratic Party `` is filled with hate . ''
As evidence , he pointed to the hundreds of protesters who gathered outside the White House during his speech Thursday night and banged drums , played loud music , set off firecrackers and used bullhorns and whistles to try to disrupt his remarks .
Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , said he and his wife , Kelley , were surrounded by what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after leaving the White House and heading back to his hotel following Trump 's speech .
Videos showed police surrounding the Pauls and telling protesters to move back .
Trump said the police officers who protected the Pauls should be invited to the White House and given a medal .
He called the protesters `` a bunch thugs '' and faulted the city 's Democratic mayor , Muriel Bowser , for failing to restore order .
`` We 're going to have to look at it , '' he said , `` because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen to people that go to the White House to celebrate our country . ''
If Biden is elected , he said , `` the agitators will go from rioting in the streets to running the halls of government.
” “ No one will be safe in Biden ’ s America , '' he said .
In a prebuttal to the rally , Biden issued a statement early Friday slamming Trump for “ bringing his message of division , lies and chaos to New Hampshire.
” Biden said Trump ’ s “ mismanagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 430 deaths in the Granite State , caused hundreds of small businesses to close and put thousands of people out of work across the state .
“ Granite State families deserve a president who will heal and unite our nation and make sure New Hampshire communities recover from this crisis stronger than they were before , ” Biden said .
“ As president , I will restore the decency and leadership to the White House that has been eroded under the current administration and provide all Granite Staters the dignity and respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night 3 of the RNC : Speakers offer compelling but sometimes misleading stories With the election just two months away , polls show Trump trailing Biden nationwide and in most key swing states .
Trump lost New Hampshire to Democrat Hillary Clinton four years ago by just 2,736 votes .
But a poll released last week by St. Anselm College ’ s New Hampshire Institute of Politics showed him trailing Biden in the Granite State by 8 points .
The New Hampshire event was a do-over of sorts : A rally scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last minute amid threats of bad weather that never materialized .
Michael Collins covers the White House .
Reach him on Twitter @ mcollinsNEWS .
What 's next ?
Joe Biden bets big on 'character , compassion , decency ' at DNC convention .
Is that enough to activate the base ?

'They stoke the flames': As thousands march on Washington, Trump blames media for sowing 'racial hatred'
Show Caption Hide Caption Pres. Trump accepts nomination: 'For America, nothing is impossible' President Donald Trump accepts the Republican presidential nomination with a speech expressing American excellence. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – On the same day that thousands of protesters marched in Washington to demand an end to racism, President Donald Trump accused the media of stoking racial divisions Friday in his first campaign stop after formally accepting his party’s nomination for a second term.
Trump told supporters at a rally at an airport hangar near Manchester, New Hampshire, that "radical Democrats" and news organizations are tearing the country apart.
“There's so much racial hatred, and it's put there by CNN, by MSDNC," he said, invoking his nickname for the MSNBC.
"They stoke the flames, and they know it," he said. "The good news is their ratings aren't great."
Trump's remarks in New Hampshire came just hours after he formally accepted his party’s nomination for a second term with a renomination speech and made-for-television spectacle on the White House South Lawn, capping off the Republican National Convention.
Trump's remarks came on the same day that thousands converged on Washington to demand long-lasting change to end systemic racism as the country reels from police killings of Black people this year that have fueled nationwide protests.
The Get Your Knee Off Our Necks Commitment March on Washington, organized by Rev. Al Sharpton, marked the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech.
Trump on Thursday night formally accepted his party's nomination for reelection in an event filled with pomp and circumstance.
In a 70-minute address at the White House, Trump boasted about parts of his record during his first four years in office and promised that, if given a second term, he would “again build the greatest economy in history,” lead the nation into new frontiers and rekindle faith in American values.
But he also delivered a series of dark, blistering attacks against Democratic challenger Joe Biden, calling the former vice president “a destroyer of jobs” and a “Trojan horse for socialism" – a blistering attack that he repeated Friday in New Hampshire.
'The results speak for themselves': What Ivanka Trump and her siblings said about their father at the RNC
In remarks often interrupted by chants of "four more years," Trump claimed that the Democratic Party "is filled with hate."
As evidence, he pointed to the hundreds of protesters who gathered outside the White House during his speech Thursday night and banged drums, played loud music, set off firecrackers and used bullhorns and whistles to try to disrupt his remarks.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he and his wife, Kelley, were surrounded by what he called "an angry mob" after leaving the White House and heading back to his hotel following Trump's speech. Videos showed police surrounding the Pauls and telling protesters to move back.
Trump said the police officers who protected the Pauls should be invited to the White House and given a medal. He called the protesters "a bunch thugs" and faulted the city's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, for failing to restore order.
"We're going to have to look at it," he said, "because we're not going to let that happen to people that go to the White House to celebrate our country."
If Biden is elected, he said, "the agitators will go from rioting in the streets to running the halls of government.”
“No one will be safe in Biden’s America," he said.
In a prebuttal to the rally, Biden issued a statement early Friday slamming Trump for “bringing his message of division, lies and chaos to New Hampshire.”
Biden said Trump’s “mismanagement” of the coronavirus pandemic has led to 430 deaths in the Granite State, caused hundreds of small businesses to close and put thousands of people out of work across the state.
“Granite State families deserve a president who will heal and unite our nation and make sure New Hampshire communities recover from this crisis stronger than they were before,” Biden said. “As president, I will restore the decency and leadership to the White House that has been eroded under the current administration and provide all Granite Staters the dignity and respect that they deserve."
Fact checking night 3 of the RNC: Speakers offer compelling but sometimes misleading stories
With the election just two months away, polls show Trump trailing Biden nationwide and in most key swing states.
Trump lost New Hampshire to Democrat Hillary Clinton four years ago by just 2,736 votes. But a poll released last week by St. Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics showed him trailing Biden in the Granite State by 8 points.
The New Hampshire event was a do-over of sorts: A rally scheduled for Portsmouth in July was canceled at the last minute amid threats of bad weather that never materialized.
Michael Collins covers the White House. Reach him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.
What's next?Joe Biden bets big on 'character, compassion, decency' at DNC convention. Is that enough to activate the base?


usatoday--2020-08-28--'This dream is still alive': Thousands rally for racial justice at March on Washington

WASHINGTON – Thousands converged on the nation 's capital Friday demanding long-lasting change to end systemic racism as the country reels from police killings of Black people this year that have fueled nationwide protests .
Marchers , speakers and organizers spoke out about reforms to law enforcement , expansions of voting rights and the power of voting in November to bring about the change they sought .
Many expressed sorrow and frustration over the many deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police , including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , as well as the shooting last weekend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was here to see this right now , '' Philonise Floyd , the brother of George Floyd , said as he struggled to get the words out from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial .
Speakers who addressed the masses included Martin Luther King III , who called on marchers to “ become the heroes of the history we are making , ” and the Rev .
Al Sharpton .
`` We come today Black and white and all races and religions and sexual orientations to say this dream is still alive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but you can ’ t kill the dream because truth crushed to earth shall rise again , '' Sharpton said .
`` Get your knee off our neck .
Enough is enough . ''
Sharpton organized the Get Your Knee Off Our Necks Commitment March on Washington , along with the National Action Network , marking the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his `` I Have A Dream '' speech .
Sharpton first announced the march at Floyd 's funeral .
Floyd , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day when a white police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
The march comes as new protests erupted across the country this week after graphic video surfaced on social media showing a police officer shooting Blake , a Black man , in the back several times as he was walking to a car in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Many of those in the crowd Friday donned T-shirts with the faces of the late Rep. John Lewis and Floyd on them.The marchers skewed young and Black but included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exuding a sense of unity .
The crowd swelled despite the heat .
Some marchers cooled off in the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the 90-degree day .
By midafternoon , the march toward the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial had begun .
“ It ’ s all the deaths , it ’ s every week , ” said Virginia Jones-Finley , 63 , from Suffolk County , Virginia of why she came out to march .
“ The people are in there for the long fight , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long fight.
” Organizers were stringent about COVID-19 protocols put in place ahead of time , including requiring temperature checks and masks ahead of gaining entry .
Hand-washing stations were made available .
Buses from COVID hot spots were discouraged as organizers pointed to their virtual march programming , where people could tune in to hear the speeches .
'We 're not taking it anymore ' : Families of Floyd , Blake , Arbery , Taylor speak Marchers chanted `` George Floyd '' as his brother , Philonise Floyd , addressed the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Floyd hopes lawmakers will follow the lead of marchers and enact laws that protect Black people .
`` I ’ m marching for George , Breonna ( Taylor ) , Jacob ( Blake ) , Pamela Turner , Michael Brown , Trayvon ( Martin ) and anybody else who lost their lives to evil.
” Tamika Palmer , Breonna Taylor ’ s mother , thanked supporters who have been calling for justice in her daughter ’ s death .
“ What we need is change , '' Palmer said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we can get that change , but we have to stand together , we have to vote . ''
Wanda Cooper , Ahmaud Arbery ’ s mother , led thousands in chanting her son ’ s name so that he could “ hear it in the heavens.
” “ My boy been lynched by three white men , and it ’ s been a hard road for me and my family , ” said Arbery ’ s father , Marcus Arbery .
“ I ’ m used to my boy calling me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , and sometimes I ’ ll be like , 'wow , he forgot to call me . '
It just ain ’ t real.
” Jacob Blake Sr. , the father of Jacob Blake , said he is fed up with systemic racism and “ we ’ re not taking it anymore.
” “ There are two systems of justice in the United States , ” the elder Blake said .
“ There ’ s a white system and there ’ s a Black system .
The Black system ain ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Eric Garner , Botham Jean , Joel Acevedo , Oscar Grant , Dontre Hamilton and many more also spoke at the rally , many encouraging people to go to the polls in November .
Speakers call on marchers to vote , keep protests going Several civil rights and social justice activists delivered impassioned speeches that echoed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial , calling for an end to systemic racism and for the U.S. Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills , but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to bring them up for a vote .
“ The reason why George Floyd laying there with that knee on his neck resonated with so many African-Americans is because we have all had a knee on our neck , ” Sharpton told USA TODAY in the days leading up to Friday 's march .
“ What we are saying is that these two laws represent taking some of the knee off but the systemic racism is going to take more than two laws.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he chose to hold the rally at the Lincoln Memorial to honor the 1963 march but also to highlight the broken promises President Abraham Lincoln made a century before that .
“ He promised us full citizenship if we fought to save the Union , ” Sharpton said .
“ We never got the full citizenship .
We never got the reparations .
We ’ ve come to Lincoln because you promised , Mr. Lincoln , and the promise has been broken.
” Black people , King said , have been disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeted with voter suppression and police brutality , and are losing their jobs at higher rates than white Americans during the pandemic .
To address these disparities , King challenged the crowd to register to vote , join the fight for equality in their communities and peacefully protest .
“ If you ’ re looking for a savior , get up and find the mirror , ” King said .
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a virtual appearance in a brief video segment .
She encouraged participants to learn from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pursue a path of justice in the wake of the lynching of Emmett Till , the 14-year-old Chicago boy killed in Mississippi 65 years ago Friday .
“ As John put it , Emmett Till was my George Floyd .
He was my Rayshard Brooks , Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor , ” Harris said .
David G. Clunie , executive director of the Black Economic Alliance , called for changes to close the wealth gap for Black families so they can build generational wealth .
`` We have to continue this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the streets , in the halls of Congress and in the corporate board rooms and with our vote so we can finally achieve social and economic justice , '' Clunie said .
Kentucky Rep. Charles Booker , the state ’ s youngest Black lawmaker who recently ran for the Senate , invoked Taylor ’ s name and called on America to `` wake up '' during his address .
“ The cries we ’ re hearing across the country right now – from Kenosha to Kentucky , from the hood where I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Appalachia , to everywhere in between – those cries let us know that we have more marching to do , ” Booker said .
“ We can not stop .
We can not quit .
And we can not be patient .
“ Breonna , I ’ m representing you right now , ” he said .
'Time to do something ' : Marchers on why they came to Washington Rebecca Anderson Fly sat in the grass holding a sign bearing a photo of her son Nicholas protesting Floyd ’ s death in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Langston Hughes poem .
At 63 , this is her first march .
Although she didn ’ t participate in local protests because of the pandemic , Fly , the first white African American studies major to graduate from the University of Minnesota , knew she had to come to Washington when she heard Sharpton speak at Floyd ’ s funeral .
She said her family took precautions against COVID-19 , including driving two days here instead of flying and staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel .
She said she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three times on the way in .
“ It ’ s worth the risk , ” Fly said .
“ It is absolutely a historical event that hopefully won ’ t have to happen again.
” Many attendees gathered on the National Mall with family members .
Odell and Zina Ashley of Hampton , Virginia , brought their granddaughters , Jayla , 11 , and Azia , 5 , along with a wagon full of snacks , water and signs .
Odell Ashley said they were here to show them they can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic , '' Odell Ashley said .
`` Families have to first educate their kids .
They ’ re not being taught in school that America is built on the backs of Black people . ''
Though slavery ended 400 years ago , “ we are still being oppressed ” he said , adding he wants the girls to know their voices matter .
He noted the nomination of Harris as another way his granddaughters see they can do anything .
Harris on Kenosha shooting : Kamala Harris says Kenosha police officer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis drove seven hours from Boston with her daughter to join the march .
The 31-year-old social worker said they were `` out here demanding justice . ''
“ We ’ re out here just protesting for change for equality .
We ’ re tired of young , innocent brown and Black women and men who are being killed wrongfully , unarmed , ” Davis said .
Kendra Butler , 49 , of Arlington , Texas , said she was in Washington visiting her cousin , Narvin Gray , and they decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two sons and said she ’ s here for them and their future .
`` I have two Black sons and seeing their parent out here trying to make a difference ... to see them growing up asking why this is happening and I have to explain all the way back to when we were kidnapped .
It ’ s a horrible situation to have to explain to a 15-year-old who did not learn ( Black history ) in high school .
`` As a Black parent , I want to show them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but have to practice what they preach . ''
'People are not going to stop':57 years later , thousands to gather for another March on Washington on Friday Butler and Gray said they ’ re organizing their family to vote early together , to show the younger family members it ’ s important .
Gray , 56 , of Washington , D.C. , said he wasn ’ t alive for the original March on Washington , so he wanted to come out Friday .
`` I just figured it was time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spectator , '' he said .
Frustration over lack of change in 57 years Akiylah Christopher , 29 , expressed frustration that Black people are still marching for the same issues that brought crowds to the 1963 march and at the recent spate of police shootings .
“ A couple of days ago Jacob Blake was shot seven times in his back , ” she said .
“ There has to be an end to this.
” Gail Crick , a social worker from New York , said organizers of the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not intend for the march to go on this long .
`` We ’ re here 57 years later asking and begging for the same things : Equality .
Justice .
End police killings against unarmed Black people .
Like this is 57 years later .
We have to march for how much longer ? ''
Crick asked .
She and husband Mzee Nkosi , also a social worker , expressed discontent with the 2020 march and what they said is a message simply to vote .
Nkosi said Black leaders are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or athletes who are not trained to represent other people .
`` How is voting and how is religion going to change the next young Black male or Black female from being shot ?
How is voting or religion going to address that ? ''
he said .
`` It ’ s not being addressed today and that ’ s what disgusting me .
People are standing up here screaming Breonna Taylor ’ s name but you haven ’ t said anything that ’ s going to address it . ''
'It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , found love on their 750-mile walk to DC Kenosha shooting , DC protest : Kyle Rittenhouse to remain in Illinois as thousands descend on Washington

Nicquel Terry Ellis, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Rachel Aretakis, Joshua Bote, Claire Thornton, Ryan W. Miller and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY

'This dream is still alive': Thousands rally for racial justice at March on Washington
Show Caption Hide Caption MLK Jr.’s only granddaughter speaks at the March on Washington MLK Jr.’s only granddaughter remembered his words in a powerful speech at the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington. USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Thousands converged on the nation's capital Friday, demanding long-lasting change to end systemic racism as the country reels from police killings of Black people this year that have fueled nationwide protests.
Marchers, speakers and organizers spoke about overhauls to law enforcement, expansions of voting rights and the power of voting in November to bring about the change they sought.
Many expressed sorrow and frustration over the deaths of many Black Americans at the hands of police, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as the shooting last weekend of Jacob Blake.
"I wish George was here to see this right now," his brother Philonise said, struggling to get the words out from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Speakers who addressed the masses included Martin Luther King III, who called on marchers to “become the heroes of the history we are making,” and Al Sharpton.
"We come today – Black and white and all races and religions and sexual orientations – to say this dream is still alive. You might have killed the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream because truth crushed to earth shall rise again," Sharpton said. "Get your knee off our neck. Enough is enough."
Sharpton organized the Get Your Knee Off Our Necks Commitment March on Washington, along with the National Action Network, marking the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech.
Sharpton announced the march at Floyd's funeral. Floyd, 46, died on Memorial Day when a white police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
March on Washington: Rev. Al Sharpton on saying 'Black lives matter' Rev. Al Sharpton speaks on saying 'Black lives matter' during his speech at the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington. USA TODAY, Associated Press
More protests erupted across the country this week after graphic video surfaced on social media showing a police officer shooting Blake in the back several times as he was walking to a car in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Many of those in the crowd Friday donned T-shirts with the faces of the late Rep. John Lewis and Floyd on them. The marchers skewed young and Black but included a diverse range of protesters.
The crowd swelled despite the heat. Some marchers cooled off in the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the 90-degree day. By midafternoon, the march toward the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial had begun.
“It’s all the deaths, it’s every week,” said Virginia Jones-Finley, 63, from Suffolk County, Virginia, about why she came to march. “The people are in there for the long fight, and it’s going to be a long fight.”
Organizers were stringent about COVID-19 protocols put in place ahead of time, including requiring temperature checks and masks. Hand-washing stations were available. Buses from COVID-19 hot spots were discouraged as organizers pointed to their virtual march programming, where people could tune in to hear the speeches.
'We're not taking it anymore' : Families of Floyd, Blake, Arbery, Taylor speak
Marchers chanted, "George Floyd" as his brother Philonise addressed the crowd. "This is hard," he said.
Philonise Floyd said he hoped lawmakers would follow the lead of marchers and enact laws that protect Black people. "I’m marching for George, Breonna, Jacob, Pamela Turner, Michael Brown, Trayvon (Martin) and anybody else who lost their lives to evil.”
Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor’s mother, thanked supporters who called for justice in her daughter’s death.
“What we need is change," Palmer said. "And we are at a point where we can get that change, but we have to stand together, we have to vote."
Wanda Cooper, Ahmaud Arbery's mother, led thousands in chanting her son’s name, so he could “hear it in the heavens.”
“My boy been lynched by three white men, and it’s been a hard road for me and my family,” said Arbery’s father, Marcus. “I’m used to my boy calling me every day and telling me he loves me, and sometimes I’ll be like, 'Wow, he forgot to call me.' It just ain’t real.”
Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake, said he is fed up with systemic racism, and “we’re not taking it anymore.”
“There are two systems of justice in the United States,” the elder Blake said. “There’s a white system, and there’s a Black system. The Black system ain’t doing so well."
Family members of Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Joel Acevedo, Oscar Grant, Dontre Hamilton and many more spoke at the rally, many encouraging people to go to the polls in November.
Speakers call on marchers to vote , keep protests going
Several civil rights activists delivered impassioned speeches that echoed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, calling for the U.S. Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The House passed both bills, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refuses to bring them up for a vote.
“The reason why George Floyd laying there with that knee on his neck resonated with so many African Americans is because we have all had a knee on our neck,” Sharpton told USA TODAY in the days leading up to Friday's march. “What we are saying is that these two laws represent taking some of the knee off, but the systemic racism is going to take more than two laws.”
Sharpton told the crowd he chose to hold the rally at the Lincoln Memorial to honor the march in 1963 but also to highlight the broken promises President Abraham Lincoln made a century before that.
“He promised us full citizenship if we fought to save the Union,” Sharpton said. “We never got the full citizenship. We never got the reparations. We’ve come to Lincoln because you promised, Mr. Lincoln, and the promise has been broken.”
King III also delivered a fervent speech that demanded “real lasting structural change.”
Black people, King said, have been disproportionately killed and sickened by COVID-19, are targeted by voter suppression and police brutality and lose their jobs at higher rates than white Americans during the pandemic.
To address these disparities, King challenged the crowd to register to vote, join the fight for equality in their communities and peacefully protest. “If you’re looking for a savior, get up and find the mirror,” King said.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a virtual appearance in a brief video segment. She encouraged participants to learn from the work of Lewis, who was inspired to pursue a path of justice in the wake of the lynching of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Chicago boy killed in Mississippi 65 years ago Friday.
“As John put it, Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor,” Harris said.
David Clunie, executive director of the Black Economic Alliance, called for changes to close the wealth gap for Black families, so they can build generational wealth.
"We have to continue this march on every platform we have, in the streets, in the halls of Congress and in the corporate boardrooms and with our vote, so we can finally achieve social and economic justice," Clunie said.
Kentucky Rep. Charles Booker, the state’s youngest Black lawmaker who recently ran for the Senate, invoked Taylor’s name and called on America to "wake up" during his address.
“The cries we’re hearing across the country right now – from Kenosha to Kentucky, from the hood where I’m from to the hollers in Appalachia, to everywhere in between – those cries let us know that we have more marching to do,” Booker said. “We cannot stop. We cannot quit. And we cannot be patient.
“Breonna, I’m representing you right now,” he said.
'Time to do something' : Marchers on why they came to Washington
Rebecca Anderson Fly sat in the grass holding a sign bearing a photo of her son Nicholas protesting Floyd’s death in their hometown of Minneapolis overlaid with a Langston Hughes poem.
At 63, this is her first march.
Although she didn’t participate in local protests because of the pandemic, Fly, the first white African American studies major to graduate from the University of Minnesota, knew she had to come to Washington when she heard Sharpton speak at Floyd’s funeral.
She said her family took precautions against COVID-19, including driving two days to D.C. instead of flying and staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel. She said she had her temperature checked at least three times on the way in.
“It’s worth the risk,” Fly said. “It is absolutely a historical event that hopefully won’t have to happen again.”
Many attendees gathered on the National Mall with family members. Odell and Zina Ashley of Hampton, Virginia, brought their granddaughters, Jayla, 11, and Azia, 5, along with a wagon full of snacks, water and signs. Odell Ashley said the family wanted to show the children they can do whatever they want.
"This is historic," Odell Ashley said. "Families have to first educate their kids. They’re not being taught in school that America is built on the backs of Black people."
Though slavery ended generations ago, “we are still being oppressed,” he said, and he wants the girls to know their voices matter. He noted the nomination of Harris as another way for his granddaughters to see they can do anything.
Harris on Kenosha shooting: Kamala Harris says Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake 'should be charged'
Cemone Davis drove seven hours from Boston with her daughter to join the march.
The 31-year-old social worker said they were "demanding justice."
“We’re out here just protesting for change, for equality. We’re tired of young, innocent brown and Black women and men who are being killed wrongfully, unarmed,” Davis said.
Kendra Butler, 49, of Arlington, Texas, said she was in Washington visiting her cousin, Narvin Gray, and they decided to come to the march. Butler has two sons and said she was there for them and their future.
"I have two Black sons, and seeing their parent out here trying to make a difference ... to see them growing up asking why this is happening, and I have to explain all the way back to when we were kidnapped. It’s a horrible situation to have to explain to a 15-year-old who did not learn (Black history) in high school.
"As a Black parent, I want to show them that they not only have to learn but have to practice what they preach."
'People are not going to stop': 57 years later, thousands to gather for another March on Washington on Friday
Butler and Gray said they’re organizing their family to vote early together, to show the younger family members it’s important.
Gray, 56, of Washington, said he wasn’t alive for the original March on Washington, so he wanted to come out Friday. "I just figured it was time to do something, time to stop being a spectator," he said.
Frustration over lack of change in 57 years
Akiylah Christopher, 29, expressed frustration that Black people are still marching for the same issues that brought crowds to the march in 1963 and at the spate of police shootings.
“A couple of days ago, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in his back,” she said. “There has to be an end to this.”
Gail Crick, a social worker from New York, said organizers of the first march and other civil-rights-era icons did not intend for it to go on this long.
"We’re here 57 years later, asking and begging for the same things: Equality. Justice. End police killings against unarmed Black people. Like this is 57 years later. We have to march for how much longer?" Crick asked.
She and her husband, Mzee Nkosi, also a social worker, expressed discontent with the march Friday and what they said was a message simply to vote. Nkosi said Black leaders are too often either religious leaders or celebrities or athletes who are not trained to represent other people.
"How is voting and how is religion going to change the next young Black male or Black female from being shot? How is voting or religion going to address that?" he said. "It’s not being addressed today, and that’s what's disgusting me. People are standing up here screaming Breonna Taylor’s name, but you haven’t said anything that’s going to address it."
'It's indescribable': Milwaukee marchers faced gunfire, found love on their 750-mile walk to DC
Kenosha shooting, DC protest: Kyle Rittenhouse to remain in Illinois as thousands descend on Washington


usatoday--2020-08-28--Kenosha shooting: Kyle Rittenhouse to remain in Illinois; 2 officers tried to use stun guns on Jacob

Kenosha shooting: Kyle Rittenhouse to remain in Illinois; 2 officers tried to use stun guns on Jacob Blake

The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Friday released a statement saying two officers deployed shock weapons when trying to arrest Jacob Blake , just before one of the officers shot him seven times in the back .
The news about the stun guns comes amid protests , arrests and public outcry about the shooting .
Among other news , Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old charged with homicide in the killing of two people at protests in Kenosha , Wisconsin , earlier this week , will remain in custody in Illinois after a judge agreed to delay a hearing on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-degree intentional homicide charge and five other charges for shooting three people , two fatally , during unrest Tuesday night in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake .
Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake , a Black man , seven times in the back on Sunday , which left Blake paralyzed from the waist down .
The Wisconsin Senate planned to meet in a special session Monday to discuss police reform in wake of the shooting , the Associated Press reports .
Rittenhouse did not appear for the hearing Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing on the status of his extradition has been set for Sept. 25 .
The hearing comes after Kenosha saw a calmer night on Thursday , with volunteers cleaning up after nights of arson and vandalism and a prayer service held along Lake Michigan .
`` We 're still in the thick of many challenges but there will be a coming together around a table in coming days , '' Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser said .
Meanwhile , in the nation 's capital , thousands of people gathered Friday to demand police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Washington .
March on Washington : 'This dream is still alive ' : Thousands rally for racial justice Here 's what we know Friday : Two officers deployed stun guns before Jacob Blake was shot The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Friday confirmed two officers tried to use shock weapons on Blake before he was shot in the back seven times .
The new information from the DOJ further illustrates what happened in the moments leading up to the Sunday shooting that left Blake paralyzed from the waist down .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest Blake , Officer Rusten Sheskey deployed `` a Taser '' on Blake .
`` When that attempt failed , Kenosha Police Officer Vincent Arenas also deployed his taser , however that taser was also not successful in stopping Mr. Blake , '' the department said in a statement .
After that , Blake walked to his car and opened the driver-side door .
Sheskey , while holding Blake 's shirt , fired seven shots into Blake 's back , according to the DOJ , and no other officer fired a gun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arenas has been with Kenosha police since February 2019 and Meronek joined the police department in January , according to the DOJ .
All three officers have been placed on administrative leave .
The Wisconsin DOJ previously said Blake told officers he had a knife , and that a knife was recovered from the driver-side floorboard of Blake 's car .
In a less than 10-minute hearing livestreamed Friday , a public defenders for Rittenhouse requested to waive his presence there and for more time so that he could hire his own legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to have a phone call with his mother this morning , '' an attorney for Rittenhouse , Jennifer Snyder , said during the proceedings .
Rittenhouse , from Antioch , Illinois , is facing six charges in Wisconsin , the most serious of which is first-degree intentional homicide .
Under Wisconsin law , Rittenhouse is charged as an adult , and he would face life in prison if convicted of the first-degree intentional homicide charge .
Rittenhouse also faces charges of first-degree reckless homicide , attempted first-degree intentional homicide , two counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 .
Joseph Rosenbaum , 36 , and Anthony Huber , 26 , were killed in the shooting ; Gaige Grosskreutz , 26 , was injured .
Visual timeline : Violence in Kenosha after police shooting of Jacob Blake Videos shared on social media show various angles of Rittenhouse using an AR-15-style rifle .
In some of the video , Rittenhouse , who is white , is seen walking toward police vehicles after the shootings with his hands up in an apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was arrested Wednesday in Antioch .
Rittenhouse told a reporter before the shooting he had come to Kenosha from his home in Antioch to defend property during the unrest .
Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said Friday that he doesn ’ t think it was a lapse in judgment for police officers to drive by Rittenhouse .
`` The totality of the circumstances , nothing suggested this person or anybody else who was armed around them was the person , '' Miskinis said at a Friday afternoon press conference .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police radio , officers would have been `` very unlikely '' to have heard yelling from the crowd that the 17-year-old had shot people .
`` There were a lot of people in the area , a lot of people with weapons and , unfortunately , a lot of gunfire , '' Miskinis said .
`` So what the officers were … driving into in this case was a 'shots fired ' complaint , not a shooting , not a 'person down ' complaint . ''
He said Rittenhouse walking toward police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t have been out of the ordinary in that situation .
And while that behavior might have been abnormal two weeks ago , it no longer is , Miskinis said .
On a recording Miskinis heard , officers were telling Rittenhouse to get out of the way .
`` Clearly they ’ re not seeing him as a suspect or a threat of any kind , '' Miskinis said .
`` He ’ s allowed to leave , where he goes to Antioch and turns himself in because we have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The officers , he said , were focused on what they see down the road .
Police union issues statements about what transpired in Blake shooting Kenosha Police Association attorney Brendan P. Matthews and the union representing the involved officers released a lengthy statement Friday aiming to correct the record about facts related to the shooting .
`` The recent officer-involved shooting in Kenosha has produced a variety of feelings and narratives ; most of which are wholly inaccurate , '' the release said .
`` The purely fictional depiction of events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what actually occurred is incredibly harmful and provides no benefit to anyone whatsoever , other than to perpetuate a misleading narrative . ''
Matthews says the officers were dispatched to the location because of a complaint that Blake was attempting to steal the caller ’ s keys/vehicle .
According to Matthews , officers were aware of Blake ’ s open warrant and that he was armed with a knife .
Jacob Blake 's father : My son is ' a human being ' but 'has not been afforded the rights of a human' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , Jacob Blake Sr. opened up about his son 's recovery and described `` two justice systems '' in which his son was shot as he walked away from police while Rittenhouse was not arrested after fatally shooting two people .
`` He 's a person .
He 's a human being .
He 's not an animal . ''
Blake told CNN .
`` But my son has not been afforded the rights of a human . ''
Blake told the Chicago Sun Times Thursday that his son was handcuffed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's paralyzed from the waist down .
But by Friday afternoon , the handcuffs were removed , Blake 's attorney , Patrick Cafferty , told CNN and Kenosha News .
Deputies from Milwaukee County were stationed in Blake ’ s room and he was restrained because of the rules surrounding a July warrant for a domestic violence issue , according to Cafferty .
The warrants have been vacated Friday , he said .
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and co-counsels Patrick Salvi and B ’ Ivory Lamarr , said in a statement they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacated , though charges against him are `` still pending . ''
`` Fortunately , a man who is paralyzed and fighting for his life after being shot seven times in the back , will no longer have to deal with the pain of having his ankles and wrist shackled and the traumatic stress of being under armed guard , '' the attorneys said in a statement .
USA TODAY has reached out to the Wisconsin Department of Justice to confirm Blake 's warrants have been vacated .
Cafferty said he spoke with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was able to arrange payment of $ 500 bond on the July charge .
Blake has tried not to tell his son about the unrest in Kenosha .
He has gotten good news , though , Blake said .
Fact check : Jacob Blake faces charges in May assault case , but he has no gun convictions '' The thing that made him smile was the Milwaukee Bucks .
That made him smile , '' Blake said .
The Bucks were the first of several pro sports teams this week to sit out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting as they demanded justice for Blake and the officer responsible be held accountable .
Blake said the team sent his son a signed jersey , too .
Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris also spoke with Blake 's family for almost an hour , Blake said .
`` They were so comforting that you almost forgot how the situation as playing out , '' Blake said .
President Donald Trump has not reached out to his family , Blake said .
Moving forward , Blake said his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his son was walking toward when police shot him , will have to deal with emotional distress of seeing the violence that happened to their father .
`` Pop pop , why did they shoot my daddy in the back ? ''
Blake said his eldest grandson asked him .
After violent unrest earlier in the week , Kenosha was calmer Thursday night .
More than 200 people prayed at Harbor Park along Lake Michigan .
The pastors who organized the event said they wanted the city to be known for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has plagued its streets in the last week .
Earlier in the day , Kreuser and Mayor John Antaramian pledged to take on the challenges of racial inequality at the root of the protests .
`` Unity becomes one of the main aspects of what has to happen in this community , and that unity is only going to happen if all of us work together , '' Antaramian said .
The Rev .
Jesse Jackson appeared at a news conference and said the different treatment of Blake and Rittenhouse by police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need prayers ' : Jacob Blake 's mother says son would be 'unpleased ' with destruction in Kenosha '' We demand justice in the country , '' the civil rights icon said .
Attorneys representing Blake and his family also drew a sharp distinction between the two cases .
“ They shot him seven times in the back in front of his children , ” the attorneys statement read , referring to Blake .
But when it came to Rittenhouse , “ local law enforcement and National Guardsmen allowed him to walk down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Crump , Salvi and Lamarr .
The protest have drawn national attention , and Trump said earlier this week “ federal law enforcement and the National Guard ” will be sent to Kenosha to restore law and order .
On Thursday , Gov .
Tony Evers announced National Guard troops from Arizona , Michigan and Alabama will arrive to assist Wisconsin 's troops at his request .
Evers already had sent more than 500 Wisconsin guard members to Kenosha this week .
A small group continued to protest in downtown Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect at 7 p.m .
Protesters made their way through the streets with stops at Library Park and the Civic Center Park .
Livestreams from people on the scene showed some arrests of protesters .
It also showed people waiting for friends who were arrested earlier to be released .
Close to midnight a group of less than 50 protesters remained .

Ryan W. Miller, Ashley Luthern, Sarah Volpenhein, Grace Hauck and Jordan Culver, USA TODAY

Kenosha shooting: Hundreds protest in Raleigh and Portland; 2 officers tried to use stun guns on Jacob Blake
Show Caption Hide Caption Jacob Blake shooting timeline: What events led to the shooting Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police on August 19. Here's a detailed timeline of events. USA TODAY
The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Friday released a statement saying two officers deployed shock weapons when trying to arrest Jacob Blake, just before one of the officers shot him seven times in the back.
The news about the stun guns comes amid protests, arrests and public outcry about the shooting. Among other news, Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with homicide in the killing of two people at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this week, will remain in custody in Illinois after a judge agreed to delay a hearing on his extradition to Wisconsin.
Rittenhouse faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge and five other charges for shooting three people, two fatally, during unrest Tuesday night in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back on Sunday, which left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. The Wisconsin Senate planned to meet in a special session Monday to discuss police reform in wake of the shooting, the Associated Press reports.
Rittenhouse did not appear for the hearing Friday in Lake County Circuit Court. Another hearing on the status of his extradition has been set for Sept. 25.
The hearing comes after Kenosha saw a calmer night on Thursday, with volunteers cleaning up after nights of arson and vandalism and a prayer service held along Lake Michigan.
"We're still in the thick of many challenges but there will be a coming together around a table in coming days," Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser said.
Meanwhile, in the nation's capital, thousands of people gathered Friday to demand police reform and voting rights at the March on Washington.
March on Washington: 'This dream is still alive': Thousands rally for racial justice
Here's what we know Friday:
Protests continue across the country
Protests that have rocked the country for months in the wake of the deaths of multiple Black people at the hands of police continued Friday.
Raleigh and Portland both saw large crowds gathered. The Raleigh Police Department tweeted multiple times late Friday night a crowd had refused to comply with the city's 10 p.m. curfew. WRAL-TV reported hundreds of protesters stayed out past curfew, and that police began arresting protesters shortly before 11:30 p.m. The Raleigh Police Department reported the crowd was detonating fireworks.
The Washington Post reported around 200 protesters blocked Interstate 295 in Washington late in the day. The Post added rain drove away many protesters, though there was some tension with police officers in the area. Across the country in Portland, protesters were reportedly outside Mayor Ted Wheeler's home.
Two officers deployed stun guns before Jacob Blake was shot
The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Friday confirmed two officers tried to use shock weapons on Blake before he was shot in the back seven times.
The new information from the DOJ further illustrates what happened in the moments leading up to the Sunday shooting that left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. According to a statement, after police attempted to arrest Blake, Officer Rusten Sheskey deployed "a Taser" on Blake.
"When that attempt failed, Kenosha Police Officer Vincent Arenas also deployed his taser, however that taser was also not successful in stopping Mr. Blake," the department said in a statement.
After that, Blake walked to his car and opened the driver-side door. Sheskey, while holding Blake's shirt, fired seven shots into Blake's back, according to the DOJ, and no other officer fired a gun. Also present was Officer Brittany Meronek.
Arenas has been with Kenosha police since February 2019 and Meronek joined the police department in January, according to the DOJ. All three officers have been placed on administrative leave.
The Wisconsin DOJ previously said Blake told officers he had a knife, and that a knife was recovered from the driver-side floorboard of Blake's car.
Kyle Rittenhouse to remain in Illinois
In a less than 10-minute hearing livestreamed Friday, a public defenders for Rittenhouse requested to waive his presence there and for more time so that he could hire his own legal team.
"We also arranged for him to have a phone call with his mother this morning," an attorney for Rittenhouse, Jennifer Snyder, said during the proceedings.
Rittenhouse, from Antioch, Illinois, is facing six charges in Wisconsin, the most serious of which is first-degree intentional homicide. Under Wisconsin law, Rittenhouse is charged as an adult, and he would face life in prison if convicted of the first-degree intentional homicide charge.
Rittenhouse also faces charges of first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, were killed in the shooting; Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, was injured.
Visual timeline: Violence in Kenosha after police shooting of Jacob Blake
Videos shared on social media show various angles of Rittenhouse using an AR-15-style rifle. In some of the video, Rittenhouse, who is white, is seen walking toward police vehicles after the shootings with his hands up in an apparent surrender, but police drive past him. He was arrested Wednesday in Antioch.
Rittenhouse told a reporter before the shooting he had come to Kenosha from his home in Antioch to defend property during the unrest.
Police chief defends officers who didn't apprehend Rittenhouse
Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said Friday that he doesn’t think it was a lapse in judgment for police officers to drive by Rittenhouse.
"The totality of the circumstances, nothing suggested this person or anybody else who was armed around them was the person," Miskinis said at a Friday afternoon press conference.
He said with other noise, including from the police radio, officers would have been "very unlikely" to have heard yelling from the crowd that the 17-year-old had shot people.
"There were a lot of people in the area, a lot of people with weapons and, unfortunately, a lot of gunfire," Miskinis said. "So what the officers were … driving into in this case was a 'shots fired' complaint, not a shooting, not a 'person down' complaint."
He said Rittenhouse walking toward police after the shooting with his hands up wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary in that situation. And while that behavior might have been abnormal two weeks ago, it no longer is, Miskinis said.
On a recording Miskinis heard, officers were telling Rittenhouse to get out of the way.
"Clearly they’re not seeing him as a suspect or a threat of any kind," Miskinis said. "He’s allowed to leave, where he goes to Antioch and turns himself in because we have no idea that he’s involved."
The officers, he said, were focused on what they see down the road.
Police union issues statements about what transpired in Blake shooting
Kenosha Police Association attorney Brendan P. Matthews and the union representing the involved officers released a lengthy statement Friday aiming to correct the record about facts related to the shooting.
"The recent officer-involved shooting in Kenosha has produced a variety of feelings and narratives; most of which are wholly inaccurate," the release said. "The purely fictional depiction of events coming from those without direct knowledge of what actually occurred is incredibly harmful and provides no benefit to anyone whatsoever, other than to perpetuate a misleading narrative."
Matthews says the officers were dispatched to the location because of a complaint that Blake was attempting to steal the caller’s keys/vehicle. According to Matthews, officers were aware of Blake’s open warrant and that he was armed with a knife.
Jacob Blake's father: My son is 'a human being' but 'has not been afforded the rights of a human'
In an interview with CNN on Friday morning, Jacob Blake Sr. opened up about his son's recovery and described "two justice systems" in which his son was shot as he walked away from police while Rittenhouse was not arrested after fatally shooting two people.
"He's a person. He's a human being. He's not an animal." Blake told CNN. "But my son has not been afforded the rights of a human."
Blake told the Chicago Sun Times Thursday that his son was handcuffed to his hospital bed, even though he's paralyzed from the waist down.
But by Friday afternoon, the handcuffs were removed, Blake's attorney, Patrick Cafferty, told CNN and Kenosha News. Deputies from Milwaukee County were stationed in Blake’s room and he was restrained because of the rules surrounding a July warrant for a domestic violence issue, according to Cafferty. The warrants have been vacated Friday, he said.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and co-counsels Patrick Salvi and B’Ivory Lamarr, said in a statement they learned Friday the warrants for Blake were vacated, though charges against him are "still pending."
"Fortunately, a man who is paralyzed and fighting for his life after being shot seven times in the back, will no longer have to deal with the pain of having his ankles and wrist shackled and the traumatic stress of being under armed guard," the attorneys said in a statement.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Wisconsin Department of Justice to confirm Blake's warrants have been vacated.
Cafferty said he spoke with District Attorney Michael Graveley Friday morning and was able to arrange payment of $500 bond on the July charge.
Blake has tried not to tell his son about the unrest in Kenosha. He has gotten good news, though, Blake said.
Fact check: Jacob Blake faces charges in May assault case, but he has no gun convictions
"The thing that made him smile was the Milwaukee Bucks. That made him smile," Blake said. The Bucks were the first of several pro sports teams this week to sit out their games in the wake of the shooting as they demanded justice for Blake and the officer responsible be held accountable. Blake said the team sent his son a signed jersey, too.
Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris also spoke with Blake's family for almost an hour, Blake said. "They were so comforting that you almost forgot how the situation as playing out," Blake said. President Donald Trump has not reached out to his family, Blake said.
Moving forward, Blake said his grandchildren, who were in the car that his son was walking toward when police shot him, will have to deal with emotional distress of seeing the violence that happened to their father.
"Pop pop, why did they shoot my daddy in the back?" Blake said his eldest grandson asked him.
Calm night Thursday in Kenosha
After violent unrest earlier in the week, Kenosha was calmer Thursday night.
More than 200 people prayed at Harbor Park along Lake Michigan. The pastors who organized the event said they wanted the city to be known for its love of God, not the violence that has plagued its streets in the last week.
Earlier in the day, Kreuser and Mayor John Antaramian pledged to take on the challenges of racial inequality at the root of the protests.
"Unity becomes one of the main aspects of what has to happen in this community, and that unity is only going to happen if all of us work together," Antaramian said.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared at a news conference and said the different treatment of Blake and Rittenhouse by police fit a pattern.
'We really just need prayers': Jacob Blake's mother says son would be 'unpleased' with destruction in Kenosha
"We demand justice in the country," the civil rights icon said.
Attorneys representing Blake and his family also drew a sharp distinction between the two cases.
“They shot him seven times in the back in front of his children,” the attorneys statement read, referring to Blake.
But when it came to Rittenhouse, “local law enforcement and National Guardsmen allowed him to walk down the street with his assault weapon,” said Crump, Salvi and Lamarr.
The protest have drawn national attention, and Trump said earlier this week “federal law enforcement and the National Guard” will be sent to Kenosha to restore law and order.
On Thursday, Gov. Tony Evers announced National Guard troops from Arizona, Michigan and Alabama will arrive to assist Wisconsin's troops at his request. Evers already had sent more than 500 Wisconsin guard members to Kenosha this week.
A small group continued to protest in downtown Kenosha after curfew Thursday, which went into effect at 7 p.m.
Protesters made their way through the streets with stops at Library Park and the Civic Center Park. Livestreams from people on the scene showed some arrests of protesters. It also showed people waiting for friends who were arrested earlier to be released.
Close to midnight a group of less than 50 protesters remained.
Contributing: Matthew Brown, Maureen Groppe, David Jackson, Nicquel Terry Ellis and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; JR Radcliffe, Alison Dirr and Sarah Hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel