Multiple Democrats on Sunday said President Donald Trump was responsible for inciting violence in Democrat-run cities.
Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said Trump has "been trying to incite violence this entire summer."
"He has at every opportunity tried to fan the flames here and that is the reason we're living in Donald Trump's America," Bedingfield said on Fox News Sunday.
Looting and violent protests have plagued major American cities in recent months following the killing of George Floyd. In response, Trump has repeatedly called for "law and order" and offered federal support to cities that are struggling with riots. Some local Democratic leaders, however, have refused federal assistance—Portland mayor Ted Wheeler, whose city has faced violent protests for more than three months, turned down Trump's offer of federal support on Friday. The mayor previously said that he plans to let the violence "burn itself out."
Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) said Sunday that Trump's offer of federal assistance is intended to "aggravate" violence.
"[Trump] simply not only won't act to stop the violence on the streets, but he will try to send federal national guard forces or others to aggravate it if he can," Schiff told CNN. "He will stoke it through his social media, where he can, because he believes the violence helps him."
Trump on Tuesday will visit Kenosha, Wis., which has struggled with violent protests since the police shooting of Jacob Blake last week. Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.) said Trump's sole intention for the trip is to "agitate" the civil unrest in Kenosha.
"I think [Trump] only means to agitate things, he is campaigning, it's clear his campaign is all about law and order," Bass told CNN. "It's a throwback to the past and he's going to do everything to disrupt law and order in this time period."