Biden Condemns the Rioting

Will it be enough to stop his slide in the polls?

Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum hosted by United for Infrastructure at the Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Feb. 16, 2020. (photo: Gage Skidmore)

In a series of tweets Monday morning, Democratic Party presidential nominee Joseph Biden condemned the rioting and looting that has occurred in American cities across the nation for the past three months.

“I want to be clear about this: Rioting is not protesting. 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.”

After Biden condemned the violence, his recently-named running mate Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted an agreement, saying “I join @JoeBiden in condemning this violence. This can not — and must not — be who we are. Americans deserve a president who will heal our country and bring people together — not fan the flames of hate and division.”

Biden criticized President Trump’s emphasis on law and order, asking voters “does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected?”

Biden’s claim seems to reiterate statements Sen. Harris made in June about the length of these “protests”. After television personality Stephen Colbert commented that he was seeing differences in the amount of coverage for protests, Harris said the protest were “not gonna stop.”