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The White House does not have any plans to preview “at this point in time” for President Biden to visit Waukesha, Wis. after the Christmas parade attack earlier this month.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday was asked why the president has not yet visited Waukesha, after 39-year-old Darrell Brooks Jr. allegedly plowed through a crowd of innocent people attending a Christmas parade there, killing six people including an 8-year-old boy and injuring dozens more.
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“As you saw the president convey last week, our hearts go out to this community, to the people in Waukesha that we’ve been in touch, obviously, with officials there,” Psaki said. “We’re all watching as people are recovering, and this is such a difficult time of year for this to happen–it’s difficult any time.”
Psaki, though, explained that “any president going to visit a community requires a lot of assets” and requires “taking their resources.”
“It’s not something that I have a trip to preview at this point in time,” Psaki said. “But we remain in touch with local officials and certainly our hearts are with the community as they’ve gone through such a difficult time.”
In the wake of the tragedy, Biden flew to North Carolina to celebrate a “Friendsgiving” with U.S. troops and then jetted to Nantucket for six days to celebrate Thanksgiving with his extended family.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the media before entering “Nantucket Bookworks” bookstore following lunch with family at the Nantucket Tap Room, in Nantucket island, Massachusetts, U.S, November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Tasos Katopodis
Brooks had an extensive criminal history dating back to 1999, including multiple felonies. A convicted sex offender, Brooks posted bail twice in Wisconsin this year – despite having an active warrant for jumping bail on a sex crime charge in Nevada.
Earlier this month, Milwaukee prosecutors requested just $1,000 bail for Brooks after he was arrested and charged for allegedly punching his girlfriend in the face and then running her over with his car in a gas station parking lot. Prosecutors now admit that bail was “inappropriately low.”
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Brooks’ criminal history ranges from multiple firearms and battery convictions, to strangulation, to sex offenses, and drug charges on a 50-page rap sheet that spans three states.
A police car is seen at Main Street in downtown Waukesha, as it’s blocked off after a car plowed through a holiday parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S., November 22, 2021. REUTERS/Cheney Orr
Cash bail policies have come into the spotlight after the incident, with the White House maintaining its position to end cash bail – saying the decision to hold defendants should be based on the threat they pose to society, not their ability to pay bail.
“Ending cash bail will not automatically put people charged with crimes on the streets,” a White House official told Fox News. “It just means that whether you get bail should be based on the threat you pose, and not how much money you have in your bank account.”
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“There shouldn’t be a separate criminal justice system for wealthy Americans,” the official added.
“Ultimately though, this was a decision made by local courts,” the official said, referring to Milwaukee county prosecutors releasing Brooks on bail.
