Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., on Wednesday praised Jacob Blake’s mother and First Lady Melania Trump for their push for unity following protests over the police shooting of Blake, a Black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisc.
An Illinois resident was arrested in connection to a shooting that left two people dead and another wounded during a chaotic night of demonstrations in Kenosha on Tuesday night.
"This is less about the color of the skin, though that is a major part of it, this is about evil in the heart," Scott told Fox News’ Dana Perino Wednesday.
“You listen to that mother praying for the police officers and asking the American family to come together. She wants justice, she wants clarity. And then you couple that with the first lady of the United States, a very graceful person, speaking eloquently about the necessity of learning from people, who are not like yourself.
“Put those two together on your show, you have a powerful three-legged stool of what makes our country stable," Scott said, adding: "It’s when powerful women stand up and are counted, if we the people will listen and learn and follow, we will find resolution to our major issues and solutions that will move our country forward.”
Blake was shot Sunday in Kenosha, Wisc., by a white police officer. A video of the incident appears to show the officer grabbing Blake by the back of his shirt as he tried to get into a small SUV, then shooting him seven times at point-blank range. Blake is currently in stable condition after undergoing surgery, but is paralyzed from the waist down. The incident is the latest in a string of shootings of Black Americans in the U.S. following police involvement.
Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson, during a press conference Tuesday said: “To all of the police officers, I’m praying for you and your families. To all of the citizens, my Black and Brown sisters and brothers, I’m praying for you.
“Let's use our hearts, our love and our intelligence to work together to show the rest of the world how humans are supposed to treat each other,” she added.
Melania Trump hours later used her address on the second night of the Republican National Convention to call on Americans to halt the violence.
“We must remember that today we are all one community comprised of many races, religions and ethnicities,” Trump, an immigrant from Slovenia, said.
“Our diverse and storied history is what makes our country strong and yet we still have so much to learn from one another.”
“I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals,” she added.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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