Concerns raised about outside influence on protests
Law enforcement tracking out-of-state agitators; David Spunt reports.
CNN commentator Van Jones warned Democrats that the ongoing focus of the unrest that has taken place in cities across the country will aid President Trump's reelection victory.
The 2020 presidential campaign has had a heightened focus on the violence that has plagued some cities, particularly following the riots that took place in Kenosha of the swing state Wisconsin. Joe Biden has been more vocal in condemning the violence after Democrats were criticized for not addressing the growing concerns among voters during their Democratic National Convention earlier this month.
Jones insisted on Wednesday that the subject helps President Trump.
"The longer we talk about violence and unrest and how he's handling it or not handling it, it all advantages Trump," Jones began. "In other words, this campaign is going well for Donald Trump because we're not talking about the economic devastation that people are experiencing or the virus really. And I think it's time for us to recognize-- we are in a very perilous situation if you want to see a change in November."
NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST PAUL KRUGMAN RIPPED FOR TWEETS DOWNPLAYING CITY VIOLENCE
The former Obama White House official explained that despite how social movements on both the left and the right have "edges of violence," voters could be "comfortable" with Trump's refusal to challenge "police" and "vigilante violence."
"The question is, how are Democrats and progressives going to deal with the edges of violence in our own movement?" Jones posed the question. "I think that Joe Biden can reach -- can actually get to move his own movement in a better direction. We need a national moratorium on these nighttime marches. That would separate the responsible, productive demonstrations that have united the whole world from some of these other demonstrations that are just not as useful. There are things that Joe Biden and other progressives can do that can begin to push down on the violence in our movement and then turn it back toward the people who are actually suffering."
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Jones stressed while "a couple of hundred businesses" have been hurt by rioters, "there have been thousands that have been destroyed by mishandling this virus."
"We've got to get off of this conversation around unrest and back to the conversation around the literally millions of people who are suffering from the Trump economy and the mishandling of the virus," Jones concluded.
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