House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., blames Democratic leaders, including presidential nominee Joe Biden, for "unhinged" violence in major cities.
After Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla. -- a double amputee -- and other attendees at President Trump's acceptance speech on the White House lawn claimed they were harassed by protesters afterward, Scalise called the incident "bizarre and concerning."
"It's being tolerated by the Democrat leadership right now. Joe Biden has been looking the other way," Scalise said Saturday on "Fox & Friends Weekend." "He's bought in ... to the Bernie Sanders left-wing agenda on all issues, and so I guess on law enforcement it's no different."
Scalise, who barely survived being shot by a left-wing activist in 2017, added, "There's no place for that in America."
Trump, who condemned the violence at a New Hampshire rally Friday night, made it clear that safety and security are among his top priorities, Scalise said..
"It's a duty of the commander in chief, and he's offered to help those cities that have let their towns get overrun by mobs. Some have basically said they don't want the help. They would rather their city get torn down for some political message, and people don't want that," he said.
"Whether you're Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, you want to be able to peacefully protest. You don't want your community burned down because somebody disagrees with your philosophy," Scalise added.
Democrats counter that the protests for racial justice going on across the country have largely been peaceful. Biden has condemned rioting and looting, while supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Scalise plans to join Trump in touring some of the damage caused by Hurricane Laura in Louisiana on Saturday. The president will also make stops in Texas.
"The president is coming down to offer any assistance he can, and our governor will be there as well," the congressman said. "But keep the people of southwest Louisiana in your prayers, and anyone else touched by the devastation of Hurricane Laura."
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