Update: Biden released a video Wednesday afternoon condemning “needless violence”:
Once again, a Black man — Jacob Blake — was shot by the police. In front of his children. It makes me sick.
Is this the country we want to be?
Needless violence won’t heal us. We need to end the violence — and peacefully come together to demand justice. pic.twitter.com/WdNqrxA3PK
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 26, 2020
Original story follows.
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Neither Joe Biden nor Kamala Harris have condemned the ongoing Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots personally — after a third night of violence turned deadly on Tuesday.
As Breitbart News reported, two people were shot dead and one wounded overnight during skirmishes in Kenosha. Democrat Governor Tony Evers turned down President Donald Trump’s offer of additional support from the National Guard, the White House said. Riots also erupted again in the state capital of Madison.
On Sunday, Jacob Blake, 29, was shot and wounded by police in Kenosha during a confrontation. It is not clear whether he was armed or not; he is reportedly paralyzed from the waist down, though it is not yet clear if that injury will be permanent.
Protests erupted that evening, accompanied by rioting, looting, and arson. Biden issued a statement Monday blaming the shooting on “systemic racism,” and said nothing about the riots. His statement also left out key details about the shooting.
That night, riots returned — and were even worse, with several businesses burnt to the ground in Kenosha, including the Danish Brotherhood Lodge, a local community charity. A man who attempted to defend the building was brutally attacked.
On Tuesday, a Biden adviser issued a brief statement condemning the violence, referring to remarks Biden made in June condemning violence. That statement, however, appeared to blame police for riots, saying that they “escalate tension.”
The violence continued on Tuesday evening, with more looting and confrontation between armed groups. Some of those armed appeared to be defending private property, but the motivations of those involved in the shootings remain unconfirmed.
Biden and Harris posted tweets Wednesday morning on other topics:
I promise you that as president, I will protect America. I will protect you and your family. I will defend our nation from threats seen and unseen.
It's the least of what we should expect from an American president.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 26, 2020
President Trump can try and shift blame all he wants, but the fact is Maine's hardworking lobstermen and women are hurting under his watch.
They deserve better. And as President, I will work to protect the livelihood and safety of the fishing community. https://t.co/JuF1O2P3EH
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 26, 2020
I know how to lead this nation through a crisis because I've done it before. I won't waste any time getting this virus under control and building our country back better. pic.twitter.com/HgBdR6VxUO
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 26, 2020
As a young girl, my grandfather would often take me on his morning walks in India, where he'd discuss the importance of fighting for democracy and civil rights.
That commitment and that fight for a better future lives on in me to this day. pic.twitter.com/xwmVik6pzA
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 26, 2020
We need to make sure that everyone who’s eligible to vote is able to do so. Join me and Black women leaders today at 3pm ET for a roundtable on how we can engage our friends, neighbors, and sisters to head to the polls in November.
Register now: https://t.co/7T3Yh27JN1 https://t.co/yPfgKtaiMs
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 26, 2020
The Republican National Convention (RNC) opened Tuesday evening with messages of sympathy for Blake and for police as well, and continued the condemnation of ongoing riots that also appeared on the first evening of the convention.
Biden supporters are growing increasingly concerned about his silence. On Wednesday, former Ohio governor John Kasich, a “Never Trump” Republican who backs Biden, told CNN that Biden had to speak up.
“[T]they have to be called out … his violence needs to be deeply condemned and deeply condemned now! Sooner rather than later in my opinion,” Kasich said.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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