Biden speaks to Jacob Blake on Kenosha visit

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden visited the protest-hit city of Kenosha, Wisconsin on Thursday, two days after President Donald Trump's visit earlier Tuesday. He spoke to Jacob Blake and his family, and also addressed a gathering of the community leaders at a local church.

The former vice president spoke to Blake, a Black man shot by police last month, over the phone for 15 minutes. The 29-year-old is hospitalized and may be paralyzed from the waist down, according to his lawyers.

Read more:Donald Trump visits Kenosha despite pleas for him to stay away 

Biden spent an hour with Blake's family and visited the Grace Lutheran Church where a gathering of local community leaders talked about their struggle with racial discrimination and unrest.

"We're finally now getting to the point where we're going to be addressing the original sin of this country, 400 years old slavery and all the vestiges of it," said Biden, adding that the president had not been able to sway the majority's support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Read more: Jacob Blake protests reverberate through US sports

A contrasting meeting

Biden's trip was very different from his Republican rival's. Trump's visit revolved around extending support to local law enforcement and the police. He did not meet Blake or his family.

The United States has seen nationwide protests against racial violence and police brutality since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer in May. With some protests turning violent, Trump has been quick to point out the role of left-wing activists in stoking unrest.

However, the president did defend a 17-year-old who opened fire at protesters at a rally in Kenosha, killing two people and wounding another.

Read more: Jacob Blake protests: Teenager charged in Kenosha shootings

see/aw (Reuters, AP, AFP)