Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki briefed White House reporters on Monday on the issue of the recent riots in the Pacific Northwest.
“President Biden condemns violence and any violence in the strongest possible terms. Peaceful protests are a cornerstone of our democracy, but smashing windows is not protesting, and neither is looting,” Psaki answered.
“Actions like these are totally unacceptable and anyone who committed a crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Our team is, of course, monitoring it very closely,” Psaki added.
Some Republicans have denounced the fact that their Democratic counterparts haven’t condemned the riots in Portland and Seattle.
“I’m waiting for Pres Biden to condemn violence/looting/arson last two days in Oregon & Washington state,” wrote Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday.
“We’re frustrated and disappointed about the damage done to our Democratic Party of Oregon Headquarters in Portland this afternoon. We’re thankful that none of our staff were in the building at the time. This is not the first time our building has been vandalized during the past year—none of the prior incidents have deterred us from our important work to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, and this one will be no different.”
