Trump Repeats Kenosha 'Save' Lie in Wisconsin Rally

Donald Trump falsely claims he "saved Kenosha"

Claim:* Says he "saved Kenosha" and that the "governor wouldn't move" to send the National Guard.

Rating: Pants on Fire

At a recent rally in Racine, Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump claimed he "saved" Kenosha from destruction during the 2020 protests that occurred after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Trump also claimed that Gov. Tony Evers was hesitant to send in the National Guard.

Our fact-check

We previously fact-checked similar claims by Trump in 2020 and found them to be false. Here's why:

1. The scope of the protests was limited to a relatively small area within Kenosha, contrary to Trump's claim that the city was "about ready to go down the tubes."

2. Other factors, such as calls for peace and a decrease in armed individuals, contributed to the calming of the situation, not just the presence of the National Guard.

3. Trump was not responsible for sending in the National Guard. Gov. Evers activated the Guard before the Trump administration's offer of federal assistance.

Sources:

• WisEye: Campaign 2024: Trump for President Rally in Racine, June 18, 2024
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A Black man shot in the back, a viral video and civil unrest: Kenosha and the country are on edge after latest police shooting, Jan. 5, 2021
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Prosecutor: No charges against Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey in Jacob Blake shooting, Jan. 5, 2021
• PolitiFact Wisconsin: No, Trump doesn't deserve credit for Kenosha de-escalation, Sept. 1, 2020
• PolitiFact Wisconsin: No, Wis. Gov. Evers did not wait to send help to Kenosha during unrest, Sept. 15, 2021