On Monday, President Donald Trump condemned Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s running mate, and Biden’s staff for donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. The Fund bailed out rioters and looters in Minneapolis, Minn. Speaking at a rally at Mankato, Minn., Trump warned that the Democrats’ sympathies lie with “lawbreakers and criminals,” rather than “law-abiding, hard-working Americans.”
Trump recalled the massive looting and rioting in Minneapolis following the police killing of George Floyd. The riots damaged more than 700 buildings in the city, with twelve structures “wholly destroyed.”
“Kamala Harris encouraged Americans to donate to the so-called Minnesota Freedom Fund… which bailed out the rioters, looters, assaulters, and anarchists from jail,” the president declared. “And Biden’s staff did the same thing.” Indeed, at least 13 staffers on Biden’s campaign donated to the fund, and Harris promoted it.
“If you’re able to, chip in now to the [Minnesota Freedom Fund] to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota,” Harris tweeted at the time.
If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota. https://t.co/t8LXowKIbw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
As Fox9 reported, however, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which amassed $35 million in the wake of the George Floyd riots, didn’t just fork over the cash to bail out the rioters. The fund “has bailed out defendants from Twin Cities jails charged with murder, violent felonies, and sex crimes.”
Why Did Joe Biden Call Police ‘The Enemy?’
Even so, Harris and the Biden staffers clearly intended to bust the rioters from jail, and their donations did achieve that.
“They donated a lot of their money to get them out of jail so that everyone was right back on the streets,” Trump added. “Think about it. This is what was running for office, this is what we’re competing against.”
Of Biden and Harris, Trump warned, “their sympathies lie with lawbreakers and with criminals, my heart is with law-abiding, hard-working Americans, like these people. And my heart’s also with the great men and women of law enforcement, who are treated very badly.”
President @realDonaldTrump on Kamala Harris encouraging people to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which freed a convicted rapist and an accused murderer pic.twitter.com/epsrOf7fBW
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) August 17, 2020
Trump later went on to slam the Democrats for advocating the defunding of police departments. He also chastised Biden for referring to the cops as “the enemy.”
President @realDonaldTrump: "Top Democrats have demanded the defunding of police departments. Biden even referred to police as 'THE ENEMY!'" pic.twitter.com/ZBi1LAc5PY
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) August 17, 2020
As antifa rioters terrorized Portland, repeatedly attacking the federal courthouse with explosives, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent more officers to protect it. At the time, Biden condemned Trump for sending officers who “brutally” attacked “peaceful protesters.”
Trump is indeed standing with law enforcement and law and order generally, while Biden, Harris, and the Democrats refuse to vocally condemn the violent riots that have destroyed black lives, black livelihoods, and black monuments. At least 22 Americans have died in the riots, most of them black.
Do Biden and Harris really want to cater to the rioters and looters while alienating the much larger voting bloc of law-abiding citizens? That doesn’t exactly seem like a winning strategy.
Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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