one year later

August 24, 2021

Photo credit: State Journal

On the one-year anniversary week of the deadly Kenosha riots that killed two people and destroyed countless businesses, Governor Tony Evers is feeling the heat.

The murders and destruction of businesses and livelihoods are the direct result of Evers’ response to the rioting….or lack thereof. In fact, his statements during the unrest were so unhelpful that various police groups asked him to simply stop talking about the situation, for fear that he would incite further violence.

ICYMI from Senator Van Wanggaard:
I first asked Governor Evers to call in the National Guard about 9 p.m. Sunday night — four hours after the incident. Twenty-four hours later, while rioting was beginning for a second night, 125 Guard Troops arrived — far less than needed. Governor Evers claims this was the best he could do on 24 hours’ notice.

We know that’s not true, though. When Milwaukee asked for help to control crowds during game 6 of the NBA Finals, 200 troops were delivered in less than 24 hours. Milwaukee got 200 troops for a joyous celebration in less than a day. It took two nights of violence and tens of millions of dollars of damage before that many National Guard members got to Kenosha. Evers dispatched 500 troops to Washington, D.C., in January for the inauguration. It took the deaths of two people, tens of thousands living in fear for three nights, and countless destruction before he sent that many people to Kenosha.

The best he could do? History shows he could have done better – and didn’t.

Two Kenosha business owners came forward in ads last week with their stories about the destruction of their businesses thanks to Evers’ negligence. WATCH here and here. Evers and his team attempted to pull the ads off the air and failed.

More damning headlines for Evers:

ABC 7 Chicago: Kenosha unrest damages more than 100 buildings, at least 40 destroyed, alliance says

Wall Street Journal: Kenosha Businesses Grapple With Damage to City

New York Times: Businesses Trying to Rebound After Unrest Face a Challenge

Fox 2 Detroit: With his business lost to the Kenosha riots, a Dearborn man looks for help rebuilding

The Federalist: One Year After Deadly Race Riots, Kenosha, Wisconsin Is Still Picking Up The Pieces

“Countless businesses were destroyed and two lives were tragically lost, but Governor Evers has yet to take any sort of responsibility for his failed response to the violence that occurred during last year’s Kenosha riots,” said RGA Spokesperson Maddie Anderson. “As governor, Evers had the ability and responsibility to swiftly and strongly respond to the rioting, but instead he threw up his hands. His dereliction of duty means the blame for the destruction of the city lies squarely with him. Business owners across Wisconsin know that if riots come to their city, they simply can’t count on Governor Evers to act.”