White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday accused the media and Democrats of “aiding and abetting the violence” in U.S. cities, as protests persist in Wisconsin following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
“It’s a real travesty that it took the Democrats this long to mention the violence in our streets, that it was ignored,” McEnany told Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom.”
“When they had the biggest platform, it was entirely ignored,” she added, referring to last week’s Democratic National Convention.
McEnany’s criticism comes a day after Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden condemned the violence in Kenosha, saying in a video released on social media that “needless violence won’t heal us.”
Vice President Pence also condemned the violence in his party acceptance speech Wednesday night as part of the Republican National Convention.
“Last week, Joe Biden didn’t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country. So let me be clear, the violence must stop, whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha. Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans strike each other down,” Pence said, referring to protests against racial injustice that have at times turned violent following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Blake, a Black man, was shot in the back seven times by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday, three days after the Democratic convention. Two people were fatally shot Tuesday at a protest against Blake’s killing. An Illinois teenager has been arrested and faces charges in connection with Tuesday’s shooting.
McEnany on Thursday said, “The media, the Democrats are aiding and abetting the violence in the streets.”
She specifically criticized CNN for “putting up a chyron about violent protest and quickly removing the chyron and changing it to just protest” and “CNN last night saying fiery but not violent protests, as there were literally fires and violence raging behind them.”
President Trump is slated to accept the GOP nomination from the White House South Lawn at 10:30 p.m.