President Trump at his Thursday night address from the White House accepting his party’s nomination for president condemned “rioting, looting, arson and violence” he said had taken hold in Democratic-run cities but did not mention the police shooting of Jacob Blake that has roiled Kenosha, Wis., and much of the nation.
Speaking from the South Lawn of the White House on the final night of the GOP convention, Trump said the justice system would prosecute police misconduct.
But he leaned into his law-and-order message, saying he would never allow for “mob rule” that he said had broken out in “Democrat-run” cities like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York.
Trump accused the Democrats of bowing to the protesters and endangering the lives of ordinary citizens in those cities.
“There is violence and danger in the streets of many Democrat-run cities throughout America,” Trump said. “This problem could easily be fixed if they wanted to. Just call, we’re ready to go in, we’ll take care of your problem in a matter of hours.”
Trump did not mention Blake, who remains hospitalized after he was shot in the back by the police.
NBA teams, led by the Milwaukee Bucks, postponed playoff games out of protest. Trump responded by calling the league a “political organization.”
The president also did not address the young man who appears to be a Trump supporter who was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of two people at the demonstrations in Kenosha on Tuesday.
Biden on Thursday accused Trump of “rooting for more violence,” saying he thinks the president believes it will benefit his reelection effort to be able to cast himself as the law-and-order candidate.
Trump on Thursday accused the Democrats of standing with “with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag-burners.”
The president said his administration would prosecute all federal crimes that happen during the protests.
“During their convention, Joe Biden and his supporters remained completely silent about the rioters and criminals spreading mayhem in Democrat-run cities,” Trump said.
Biden this week condemned the violent aspects of the protests, while demanding justice for Blake and other Black men that have been victims of police violence.
“They’re starting to mention it because their polling numbers are going down like a rock in water,” Trump said. “It’s too late Joe.”