Biden says he is “totally opposed” to defunding the police

(CBS News) - Joe Biden pushed back against President Trump’s accusation that he supports defunding the police, saying that he supports providing more assistance for police officers and reintroducing “community policing.”

“I’m totally opposed to defunding the police officers,” Biden said. “They need more assistance.”

Biden also said that he had not spoken with the mayor of Portland, Oregon, where there have been violent protests for months.

“I’ve made it clear in my public statements that the violence should be prosecuted,” Biden said. He blamed the president’s inflammatory rhetoric for making the situation worse in these cities, saying Mr. Trump “just pours gasoline on the fire.”

Although the president was quick to denounce antifa, he declined to condemn white supremacist supporters stirring unrest in cities across the country.

“I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not the right wing,” Mr. Trump said about recent protests.

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