During Tuesday’s presidential debate, 2020 Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden said that he hasn’t called for the mayor of Portland or the governor of Oregon to utilize the National Guard to quell the violence in Portland because he doesn’t hold public office and that those officials can “take care of it” if President Donald Trump doesn’t get in the way.
Moderator Chris Wallace asked Biden, “Mr. Vice President, you say that people who commit crimes should be held accountable. The question I have though is, as the Democratic nominee, and earlier tonight you said that you are the Democratic Party right now, have you ever called the Democratic mayor of Portland or the Democratic governor of Oregon and said, hey, you’ve got to stop this. Bring in the National Guard. Do whatever it takes. But stop the days and months of violence in Portland?”
Biden responded, “I don’t hold public office now. I am a former vice president. I’ve made it clear, I’ve made it clear in my public statements that the violence should be prosecuted.”
Wallace then cut in to ask, “You have never called for the leaders in Portland and in Oregon to call and bring in the National Guard and knock off 100 days of riots?”
Biden responded, “They can, in fact, take care of it if he’d just stay out of the way.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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