Joe Biden: 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?'


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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 10, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and more
-
5 streetwise cartoons about defunding PBS
Cartoons Artists take on immigrant puppets, defense spending, and more
-
Dark chocolate macadamia cookies recipe
The Week Recommends These one-bowl cookies will melt in your mouth
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment