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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" Logo/664f5442ac04e91ab5d92f8815688061.jpg\\") ![](\\" Logo/792ab1472c025fd6cd27858d407dc138.jpg\\") Empower Wisconsin stated on August 17, 2021 in TV ad: Says of Gov. Tony Evers and 2020 violence in Kenosha after the police shooting of Jacob Blake: “It took the loss of lives before help finally came.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * Military * Public Safety * States * Wisconsin * Empower Wisconsin ![\\"Police](\\" Police stand near a garbage truck ablaze during protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha on Aug. 24, 2020 By Vanessa Swales September 15, 2021 # No, Wis. Gov. Evers did not wait to send help to Kenosha during unrest #### If Your Time is short * Evers had already deployed the National Guard on Aug. 24 — less than 24 hours after Jacob Blake was shot by a Kenosha police officer. * By Aug. 25, the same night that Kyle Rittenhouse killed two protesters and injured a third, a total of 250 troops were on the ground in Kenosha. See the sources for this fact-check A year after the violent and fatal protests that took place in Kenosha, and a year before the 2022 election, political opponents are focusing on Gov. Tony Evers and his response to the crisis that left dozens of buildings burned and two dead. The critique, in short: He did too little, too late. Most recently, Republican Rebecca Kleefisch, the former lieutenant governor, made such a claim as she launched her bid Sept 9, 2021 to take on Evers, a first-term Democrat. RELATED: Kleefisch attacks Evers over Kenosha but also once said \'far too many shots\' were fired in police shooting In most cases, the criticism is presented as opinion. But a recent television and digital ad from Empower Wisconsin, a right-wing super PAC that describes itself as \"Wisconsin\'s premier information hub,\" got its facts jumbled. So, we thought it was worth a fact-check to examine just what happened in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, and the protests that almost immediately followed. The ad features Kimberly Warner, a Kenosha resident and business owner, though on the screen she is identified only by her first name. At times, she speaks directly to the camera. At other points, there are images of burned-out buildings and words that reinforce her series of criticisms of Evers. Most notable is this claim: \"It took the loss of lives before help finally came.\" Since the ad is from Empower Wisconsin, that’s who we are fact-checking here. Is the group right that Evers did not act until people had died? A look at the evidence When asked for evidence, Empower Wisconsin did not provide any specific details, but the comments from spokesperson Stephan Thompson made clear they were talking about the response by Evers to help sought by local leaders. Said Thompson: \"For three straight nights, Kenosha was burning. Local and federal leaders were pleading for help and Evers ignored it.\" Let’s start with the basics. The protests broke out Aug. 23, 2020, hours after Jacob Blake, 29, was shot from behind at close range seven times by Kenosha Officer Rusten Sheskey. The officer had responded to a call about a domestic incident a little after 5 p.m. A bystander caught much of the incident on video, which showed Blake walking away from several officers and trying to get into an SUV, with three of his children inside, before he was shot. Blake survived, but was paralyzed from the waist down. Prosecutors decided not to charge Sheskey. Blake has filed a lawsuit against Sheskey. Two nights later, on Aug. 25, 17-year-old Illinois resident Kyle Rittenhouse, arrived at the ongoing protests with an AR-15 and a self-described mission to protect property in the city. Rittenhouse ultimately shot three people, killing two and wounding the third -- incidents also caught largely on video. He is scheduled to go to trial in November. The question at hand is what happened between those two incidents. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Eric Hovde stated on August 13, 2024 in Public appearance Says U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin “has done absolutely nothing” about the fentanyl crisis. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Laura Schulte • August 22, 2024 \"The fact of the matter is, the state and Governor Evers worked closely with local leaders to provide assistance and fulfill every request they had,\" said Sam Roecker, Evers’ communication director. What happened in Kenosha? Let’s look at the timeline. This review is based on past articles and fact- checks, which have explored this sequence in detail. Sheskey shot Blake at around 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2020. Soon after the first stories were posted, crowds began to form. This was in the middle of a summer of protests over police brutality following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes. At around 3 a.m. on Aug. 24, Kenosha Sheriff David Beth submitted a formal request to the state, calling for support from the Wisconsin National Guard. Later that day, at 3:05 p.m. — less than 24 hours after Jacob Blake was shot — Evers authorized 125 members of the National Guard to support local law enforcement agencies. Neighboring jurisdictions had provided more than 100 law enforcement officers the night before -- a presence that would continue. On Aug. 25, 2020 at 2:33 p.m., the governor doubled the number of National Guard members to 250 troops. Earlier that day, the Trump administration spoke to Evers (first Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, then President Donald Trump himself). Evers declined their offers of federal help in Kenosha. That night, protestors were not met just by law enforcement, but groups of self-described militia members, who said they were there at the request of business owners. Rittenhouse killed 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum and 26-year- old Anthony Huber and injured 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz at around 11:45 p.m on Aug. 25. By that time, the aforementioned 250 National Guard troops had been sent to Kenosha, so the ad is way off base when it claims state help did not come until after the deaths. The aftermath The following night, Evers increased troop numbers to 500. After more talks with Meadows, the governor also accepted assistance in the form of federal troops from the Trump administration. In an earlier fact- check, Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said as of Aug. 31 that was the only federal government assistance provided. To be sure, we are not checking claims about whether Evers did enough, or did it soon enough. Kleefisch and others are signaling that this will be a major point in the 2022 campaign. Voters will hear plenty from both sides to sway their views. Here we are looking narrowly at this specific claim, which mangles the timing of what happened. Our ruling In an ad, Empower Wisconsin said of Evers and Kenosha violence: \"It took the loss of lives before help finally came.\" But the timeline shows Evers had sent in 250 National Guard troops in the days before the night Rittenhouse shot and killed the two men. We rate this claim False. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Empower Wisconsin’s Youtube channel, \"Empower Wisconsin: ‘Kimberly’ 30s,\" Aug. 17, 2021 USA TODAY, Black man shot multiple times by Wisconsin police; video of incident sparks social media backlash, protests, Aug. 24, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, After calls for unity and healing, tension still simmers in Kenosha after police shooting of Jacob Blake, Aug. 28, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Kyle Rittenhouse\'s case quickly became a sensation during Kenosha unrest. A year later, there\'s a long way to go, Aug. 19, 2021 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jacob Blake was shot less than 3 minutes after Wisconsin police arrived at the scene, according to dispatch audio, Aug. 26, 2020 PolitiFact, No, Trump doesn\'t deserve credit for Kenosha de-escalation, Sept. 1, 2020 Press conference with Kenosha Sheriff David Beth, video and transcript, Aug. 26, 2020 Gov. Tony Evers office, Wisconsin National Guard to Support Local Law Enforcement in Kenosha, Aug. 25, 2020 Gov. Tony Evers office, Gov. Evers Declares State of Emergency in Wisconsin, Aug. 25, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, White House says Gov. Tony Evers turned down federal help to quell Kenosha disturbances, Aug. 26, 2020 Gov. Tony Evers office, Gov. Evers Authorizes Additional Wisconsin National Guard Support for Kenosha County, Aug. 26, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Crowds gathered in Kenosha on Sunday, Aug. 23, after police earlier shot Jacob Blake, Aug. 24, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jacob Blake sues Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot him in the back in August, March 26, 2021 Kenosha News, Kimberly Warner, an authentic downtown Kenosha serial entrepreneur, Aug 30, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Video shows Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha on the night three protestors were shot, Aug. 27, 2020 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Jacob Blake shooting was one year ago. The legal fallout from what ensued in Kenosha is still playing out, Aug. 20, 2021 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Vanessa Swales ![](\\" ![](\\" David Crowley stated on May 16, 2024 in Public appearance: “Under (the Biden) administration we have witnessed the fastest growth of Black-owned small businesses in more than 30 years.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Vanessa Swales • June 28, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Brian Schimming stated on March 6, 2024 in Media call: “We’ve had 12 elections in 24 years in Wisconsin that have been decided by less than 30,000 votes.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Vanessa Swales • April 5, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Robin Vos stated on September 15, 2023 in News release: Gov. Tony Evers and Democrats \"rejected our (Iowa model redistricting) proposal to enact the very plan they originally endorsed.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • December 22, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Derrick Van Orden stated on April 13, 2023 in Radio interview: On exceptions to Wisconsin\'s abortion ban ![\\"half-flip\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-flip\\"](\\" flip.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • June 1, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on April 24, 2023 in Public statement: Says Social Security is a “legal Ponzi scheme.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • May 5, 2023 ![](\\" Devin/06335f353c9035c823db60282863c39b.jpg\\") ![](\\" Devin/56f6dfc9c92d6f25253ee56bd009b780.jpg\\") Devin LeMahieu stated on January 3, 2023 in Senate address: \"In 2010, (Wisconsin Republicans) inherited a multi-Billion dollar deficit … Today we are looking at a projected surplus approaching 7 Billion.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • February 3, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Jill Underly stated on October 24, 2022 in News release: “Wisconsin elementary school students buck national trends in ‘National Report Card’ release.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • December 5, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" National Republican Senatorial Committee stated on October 6, 2022 in News release: “Mandela Barnes came out in favor of abortion up until the moment of birth.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • October 20, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Michels stated on September 4, 2022 in Twitter: Says Tony Evers is “a career politician.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • October 7, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" National Republican Senatorial Committee stated on August 10, 2022 in News release: Says Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes “supports abolishing ICE.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • August 29, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Glenn Grothman stated on July 18, 2022 in Twitter: \"With three months remaining in the Fiscal Year, (the border patrol) has already encountered more illegal immigrants along the Southwest border\" than in any previous fiscal year. ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • August 18, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Liberal Groups stated on June 2, 2022 in Public statement: \"Milwaukee’s hotels and restaurants are already filled during the summer. The RNC convention will simply replace those who normally visit our city.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • July 12, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Cavalier Johnson stated on May 27, 2022 in News conference: The RNC is “a $200 million economic infusion into our communities.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • July 8, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Cavalier Johnson stated on April 9, 2022 in TV interview: In a recent year, the Milwaukee Police Department \"collected more guns per capita off the streets than in New York.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Vanessa Swales • May 24, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Opportunity Wisconsin stated on February 21, 2022 in YouTube ad: \"Ron Johnson pushed through a special tax loophole that benefited his own family\'s business … Then he cashed out of the company for $5 million … (he has) doubled his wealth since taking office.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Vanessa Swales • April 27, 2022 ### No, Wis. Gov. Evers did not wait to send help to Kenosha during unrest * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 9, 2024 in a post: Video shows Tim Walz “falsely claims that being gay in Nebraska is ‘illegal’\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 10, 2024 in social media posts: Vice President Kamala Harris wore NOVA H1 audio earrings in the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 10, 2024 in a debate: “As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, for the first time this century.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 9, 2024 in an X post: \"Dallas County Texas (tells) election workers to (illegally) lie on registration & use a church address to register homeless people to vote!” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 7, 2024 in a post: CNN reported that the Apalachee High School shooting suspect was motivated by a “lack of trans acceptance.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 2, 2024 in an Instagram post: Image shows “Michelle Obama’s necklace from DNC speech” said “Mike.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 10, 2024 in at a Sept. 10 presidential debate: \"In Springfield (Ohio), they\'re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they\'re eating the cats. They\'re eating, they\'re eating the pets of the people that live there.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • September 11, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 6, 2024 in in social media posts: Haitian immigrants are eating pets and wildlife in Springfield, Ohio. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 2, 2024 in social media posts: The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is on the way to Aurora, Colorado, to confront a Venezuelan gang. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Loreben Tuquero • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on July 20, 2024 in remarks at a fundraiser in Provincetown, Mass.: Donald Trump “took away protections against discrimination for LGBTQ patients under the Affordable Care Act.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Grace Abels • September 9, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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Says of Gov Tony Evers and 2020 violence in Kenosha after the police shooting of Jacob Blake It took the loss of lives before help finally came