Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in a campaign speech on Monday pushed back against claims that he has a "soft spot" for rioters while accusing President Trump of having "fomented" violence in office.
Biden spoke from Pennsylvania on Monday for a speech focused on the question of whether "you really feel safer under" Trump, and in the address, he condemned looting and rioting amid unrest in Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Rioting is not protesting," Biden said. "Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It's lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction."
The Democratic presidential nominee accused Trump of "stroking violence in our cities" and being unable to "stop the violence because for years he's fomented it," saying, "You know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family's story. Ask yourself: do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?"
Biden during the speech also promised to make America "safe" as president, asserting that "we'd be seeing a lot less violence" in the United States today were he in office while asking, "Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected?"
Trump responded to the speech in a tweet, claiming Biden is "blaming the police far more than he's blaming the rioters, anarchists, agitators, and looters." Biden in his remarks had said that "most cops are good, decent people." Brendan Morrow