Welcome to Wednesday, September 2nd, hoagies and grinders...

President Trump visited Kenosha, WI, to meet with law enforcement amidst demonstrations calling for police reform after the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Kenosha has faced widespread protests and unrest since Jacob Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back seven times by Kenosha police in front of three of his children on Aug. 23.

Two nights later, Illinois teenager Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters and injured a third.

Asked about systemic racism during his Kenosha visit, Trump said:

"You just keep getting back to the opposite subject. We should talk about the kind of violence that we've seen in Portland [Oregon] and here [in Kenosha] and other places, it's tremendous violence."

Trump dismissed the notion that police brutality was systemic, blaming "some bad apples." He added that police officers "choke sometimes" because they are under "tremendous pressure."

On the eve of his visit to Kenosha, Trump defended Rittenhouse's actions, saying it appeared to him that the teen acted in self-defense:

"He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like," Trump said, noting the incident was under investigation. "I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed."

The shooter's alleged actions have split onlookers on party lines: Republicans frame Rittenhouse as a martyred patriot whose vigilante actions were born of Democrat failures to quell unrest; Democrats point to Trump's incendiary rhetoric and prior endorsements of violence against protesters.

How do you feel about Trump's remarks?

On the Radar

‘Remove, Relocate, or Contextualize’ Washington Monument & Jefferson Memorial

A commission established by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) to provide guidance on monuments that “do not align with District values” has recommended that several prominent federal memorials ― including the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial ― be removed, relocated, or contextualized.

The report explained: 

“Our decision-making prism focused on key disqualifying histories, including participation in slavery, systemic racism, mistreatment of, or actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Right Act.” 

The report did not clarify whether removal, relocation, or contextualization was the panel’s preferred remedy for the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. While the report didn’t specify the reasons for including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the first and third presidents of the U.S. both owned slaves at Mount Vernon and Monticello, respectively.

Should the Washington Monument & Jefferson Memorial be removed, relocated, or contextualized?

Under the Radar

What Happens If No One Wins the Electoral College?

This year’s presidential election is likely to be determined by the outcomes in a handful of key swing states with either President Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden winning at least 270 votes in the Electoral College. 

While the chance of it occurring is relatively small (between 3% and 5% according to estimates over the years) there are several scenarios in which neither candidate wins an Electoral College majority and thus the presidency, such as a 269-269 tie. 

The Constitution provides for the House of Representatives to hold a contingent election to elect the president in the event that no candidate wins the Electoral College. The contingent election would begin immediately after the joint congressional session to certify the Electoral College vote: January 5, 2021, after the incoming Congress is seated.

Read how a contingent election would play out in Congress here, then join the conversation:

How do you feel about the tiebreaker scenario for the Electoral College?

And, in the End...

World War II Ended With Japan's Surrender to the U.S. & Allies 75 Years Ago On This Date

World War II came to a formal end on September 2, 1945, when the U.S. and its allies received Japan’s surrender in a ceremony on the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) after nearly four years of conflict. 

Read more about this historic event here.

It's also National Blueberry Popsicle Day, but the above seemed more important to cover,

—Josh Herman

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