Jacob Blake’s mother Julia Jackson stunned CNN anchor Don Lemon when she apologized to President Donald Trump live on his program Wednesday night.
Lemon is a very vocal Trump critic who frequently uses his platform to attack Trump’s policies.
Blake, 29, was shot 7 times in the back by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer on Sunday. He is paralyzed from the waist down and suffered extensive internal injuries.
“He had a bullet go through some or all of his spinal cord,” attorney Patrick Salvi said. “He has holes in his stomach, he had to have nearly his entire colon, small intestines removed, damage to kidney and liver, and was shot in the arm.”
Salvi said Blake will undergo more surgeries and has a long road to recovery ahead of him. The family plans to file a civil suit against the city and the police department.
Jackson, accompanied by attorney Benjamin Crump, appeared on Lemon’s CNN program via Skype on Wednesday night. She denounced the violent protests and looting in her city.
But she stunned Lemon when she apologized to Trump for missing his phone call. Jackson also apologized for the behavior of a family member who criticized Trump.
“My family and I are very hurt. And quite frankly disgusted,” she told Lemon. “And as his mother, please don’t burn up property and cause havoc and tear your own homes down in my son’s name. You shouldn’t do it, people shouldn’t do it anyway, but to use my child or any other mother or father’s child – our tragedy – to react in that manner, it’s just not acceptable,” she said.
She said the ongoing violence was not helping her son or anyone else who has suffered from alleged police brutality.
When asked by Lemon whether she had a message for any politicians, including Trump, Jackson apologized to “our President Trump” on behalf of a family member who had said something that was “not kind.”
“She is hurting, and I do apologize for that,” Jackson said, adding, “That does not reflect our behavior.”
She continued, “for President Trump, I’m sorry I missed your call because had I not missed your call, maybe the comments that you made would have been different, and I’m not mad at you at all. I have the most respect for you as the leader of our country.”
Recent polls show 37% of Black Americans approve of President Trump. Only 8% of Black voters approved of Trump in 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq93pvoLtdE
