Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is speaking out to condemn violence after a man was shot and killed in Portland, Oregon, over the weekend.
“The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable. Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
“I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same. It does not matter if you find the political views of your opponents abhorrent, any loss of life is a tragedy,” he added.
Biden continued to warn against becoming “a country at war with ourselves. A country that accepts the killing of fellow Americans who do not agree with you. A country that vows vengeance toward one another.”
He claimed, “That is the America that President Trump wants us to be, the America he believes we are.”
Biden urged Americans to “condemn the incitement of hate and resentment that led to this deadly clash.”
The statement continued:
“What does President Trump think will happen when he continues to insist on fanning the flames of hate and division in our society and using the politics of fear to whip up his supporters? He is recklessly encouraging violence. He may believe tweeting about law and order makes him, but his failure to call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict shows just how weak he is. He may think that war in our streets is good for his reelection chances, but that is not presidential leadership — or even basic human compassion.”
Finally, Biden said, “All of us are less safe because Donald Trump can’t do the job of the American president.”
Read the statement below:
BIDEN says in a new statement: “Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally. I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same.” pic.twitter.com/eLqBNZm5wD
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 30, 2020
The shooting Biden referred to happened after a caravan of Trump supporters drove to Portland and reportedly clashed with counter-protesters. The New York Times reports that members of the caravan shot paintballs at counter-protesters from the back of pick-up trucks.
Biden previously condemned the violence that erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after the shooting of Jacob Blake.
However, Republicans claimed his condemnation of violence is “too little too late,” as IJR reported.
Last week, Vice President Mike Pence called for the end of the violence during his speech at the Republican National Convention, “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. We will have law and order the streets of this country for every American of every race, and creed, and color,” he added.
