Biden Criticizes Trump's Response to Protests, Urges Leadership to Heal Racial Wounds

Former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to a nation reeling from nights of violence, criticizing the White House's decision to clear protesters from a Washington street so President Donald Trump could pose with a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. Biden argued that Trump's actions were driven by a desire for power and a disregard for the needs of the American people, particularly in communities of color. He called on Congress to act now to reform policing laws, including a bill introduced by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to outlaw choke holds.

Key Takeaways:

• Biden criticized Trump's decision to clear protesters from a Washington street, calling it a "photo op" driven by a desire for power rather than principle.
• The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee argued that Trump appears "more interested in serving the passions of his base than the needs of the people in his care."
• Biden quoted civil rights leaders from earlier generations, including Rosa Parks and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and named some of today's leaders, including Rev. William Barber.
• He called on Congress to act now to reform policing laws, including a bill introduced by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to outlaw choke holds.
• Biden promised to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued the country, not use them for political gain.
• He also criticized Trump for using racial references that augered to the civil rights era, including a tweet that looting would be followed by shooting.
• Biden's speech was notable for its lack of specific proposals for police reform, instead urging the nation to enact measures that have long been debated but not pushed into being.
• He repeated promises he had previously made, including establishing a police oversight commission and encouraging departments to embrace community policing programs.
• Biden said that every police department needs to undergo a comprehensive review of its hiring practices, training programs, and de-escalation tactics, and that the federal government should give cities and states "the tools and the resources they need to implement reforms."

Statistics:

• More than 100,000 people have lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
• 40 million people have filed for unemployment, with a disproportionate number of those deaths and job losses concentrated in black and brown communities.
• The number of police-involved shootings in the United States is not specifically reported, but Biden mentioned that federal investigations should be conducted in all cases.
• The 2016 Democratic Party platform included training officers to avoid the use of force, required use of body cameras, and federal investigations of all police-involved shootings.
• A bill introduced by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., aims to outlaw choke holds.

Sources:

• Annie Linskey, Matt Viser and Sean Sullivan, "Biden Criticizes Trump's Response to Protests, Urges Leadership to Heal Racial Wounds," no date provided.
• Biden's speech, no date provided.
• Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., bill to outlaw choke holds, no date provided.