Donald Trump, his campaign and White House officials have been talking about Joe Biden a)”hiding” in his basement and not getting out and b)not condemning violence by protesters and/or looters. Today Biden Trumped Trump by not only traveling to give a speech but turning the issue of streets violence back on Trump. Reaction by many analysts and on Twitter is largely positive, calling the speech a tough speech that puts Biden on the offensive and turns Trump’s “Law and Order” campaign against him.The Hill:
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday blamed President Trump for escalating violence at protests in cities across the country, while condemning the destructive elements of the racial justice demonstrations that he said are counterproductive to the cause.
Speaking from a steel mill in Pittsburgh, Biden laid the blame for the civil unrest in the country squarely on Trump, saying the president has inflamed tensions that have been roiling since the police killing of George Floyd in May.
“This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country,” Biden said. “He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.”
The former vice president, under pressure from Trump and some Democrats to address the destructive elements of the protests that have left some cities in ruin, forcefully condemned rioting and looting and pressed for calm.
“I want to be very clear about all of this — rioting is not protesting,” Biden said. “Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction. It’s wrong in every way, it divides instead of unites.”
And:
“You know me. You know my heart,” Biden said. You know my story … ask yourself, do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really? I want a safe America. Safe from COVID. Safe from crime and looting. Safe from racially motivated crime and violence. Safe from bad cops. Let me be crystal clear — safe from four more years of Donald Trump.”
Watch the video of the speech above and come to your own conclusions.
This is why @realDonaldTrump is calling a press briefing for this afternoon – to make another campaign stop at the WH. The president is afraid. https://t.co/Ro3qc9q7gn
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) August 31, 2020
@JoeBiden just gave the best speech of his life. For Conservatives & ex GOPr’s like me, it was the words we needed to hear. He was forceful, empathetic, unequivocal and, most of all, showed leadership. THIS is what a REAL POTUS sounds like @RVAT2020 @RepsForBiden @43Biden
— USED TO BE G.O.P. (@Used_To_Be_GOP) August 31, 2020
Loving this @JoeBiden speech. He is fighting back against false Trump narrative and speaking truth. Inclusive and forceful. Preach, Joe!
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) August 31, 2020
Trump's people are scrambling like crazy right now after Joe Biden's Pittsburgh speech. Biden literally debunked everything that Trump has been trying to sell to the public over the past few weeks about crime in America, and Trump knows it.
— Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) August 31, 2020
This is a strong speech by Biden. He could’ve easily sounded defensive, but instead he made this a referendum on Trump’s handling of race relations, public safety, and the pandemic, where the incumbent continues to have very low ratings. https://t.co/MDsl2HCbeT
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) August 31, 2020
Great speech by Biden. Encouraging and important. He keeps exceeding expectations in his speeches. https://t.co/NtYBm9aZAY
— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) August 31, 2020
The White House @PressSec refusing to condemn violence committed by Trump supporters on the day of this Biden speech is a massive error – right up there with @KellyannePolls’s “the more violence, the better” line.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) August 31, 2020
The Trump campaign manipulated a video from @JoeBiden’s speech today because they could not challenge the content of the speech. This is their game. They cannot and will not compete on the facts.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) August 31, 2020
#Biden gave a wonderful speech. Right away the right coordinates a ridiculous talking point that Biden just threatened to cause violence if Trump is re-elected. https://t.co/xAXUExnw1R
— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) August 31, 2020
Joe Biden: "You know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family's story. Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?"
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 31, 2020
Biden is forcefully addressing the violence. https://t.co/jzDxHUGrXa
— Matt Lewis (@mattklewis) August 31, 2020
So Joe Biden goes out and is Joe Biden and gets huge plaudits.
Trump campaign is so stupid.
— Armando (@ArmandoNDK) August 31, 2020
.@realDonaldTrump would like to divert focus from COVID, economy to “law and order.”
But Trump’s obvious intent and overheated provocations have give @JoeBiden a chance to turn Trump’s gambit against him as he is with this very tough and effective speech in Pittsburgh. https://t.co/yut0wmw7yy— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) August 31, 2020
This is the story of the day. The Trump campaign is leading reporters around like poodles but he is literally refusing to condemn one of his own supporters, someone seen cheering at one of his rallies, who gunned down two people and has been charged with 1st degree murder. https://t.co/BgvzcqJ9K4
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) August 31, 2020
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.