Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump just finished thanking law enforcement officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, for their efforts helping to quell violence and protect neighborhoods from additional damage after a series of violent riots last week.
“Law enforcement has just done such a great job working with the National Guard and working with a lot of people . . . We’re here to show our support for Kenosha,” President Trump said.
“We’re all in this together.”
During his visit, the President surveyed property damaged from the riots, met with local residents who were affected, toured the Emergency Operations Center, and participated in a roundtable discussion on Wisconsin community safety.
“This is an example of what can happen if you do it right.”
President Trump acted quickly to send Federal law enforcement support to Wisconsin, putting a sudden stop to the unrest in Kenosha. Although Democratic Governor Tony Evers was slow to accept Federal help, President Trump credited him today for ultimately making the right decision to protect residents’ safety.
“Once again, we saw the hijacking of a protest by a hardcore group of radicals,” Attorney General Bill Barr said today. “Out of 175 arrests, 100 were from out of town.”
Over 200 agents from the FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service joined the National Guard in assisting state and local officers with restoring law and order in Kenosha. Across the Nation, Federal law enforcement is coordinating with state and local officials to bring justice to rioters, looters, arsonists, and other criminals praying on our communities.
For example, Operation Legend—a Department of Justice-led initiative to fight violent crime in America’s cities—has led to more than 1,000 arrests in less than 2 months. The murder rate in Kansas City, where the operation launched, has been cut by 33 percent, while the murder rate in Chicago has been cut in half over the last month.
President Donald Trump once again extended his offer today to help Democrat-run cities that have become overrun with violent rioting. Just last night, far-left “protesters” in Portland started a fire in the occupied apartment building where they believe Democrat Mayor Ted Wheeler lives.
“To stop the political violence, we must also confront the radical ideology that includes this violence. Reckless far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our Nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist,” President Trump said.
“Actually, we must give far greater support to our law enforcement . . . They’re fighting to save people they’ve never met in many cases.”
Watch the full Kenosha roundtable with President Trump here.
President Donald Trump: We must confront the ideology that spawns violence
