President Trump’s campaign on Wednesday released a pair of TV ads ripping Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden’s response to the recent violence and unrest in places such as Wisconsin and Minnesota.
“Lawless criminals terrorize Kenosha. Joe Biden takes a knee,” one ad says. “Biden and the radical left’s weak response has led to chaos and violence.”
The ad says Mr. Trump is fixing the problem by sending in National Guard and federal law enforcement.
“Communities, not criminals. Jobs, not mobs,” the ad says.
“Jobs not mobs” was also a campaign theme for Republicans ahead of the 2018 midterms, when Democrats won enough seats to retake control of the House.
The campaign released a similar ad aimed at Minnesota and said similar messages will be coming to Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
The Biden campaign late Tuesday released a minute-long ad that includes clips of Mr. Biden’s speech in Pittsburgh this week in which he denounced Mr. Trump as a bystander president and condemned the recent violence.
“I want to make it absolutely clear: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting,” Mr. Biden says at the start of the minute-long spot that’s part of a $45 million buy across broadcast and digital this week.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, the site of deadly protests after the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.
Mr. Trump and his campaign have called on Mr. Biden to specifically denounce Antifa, the far-left street group Trump supporters are blaming for the death of a pro-Trump activist in Portland, Oregon, over the weekend.
Mr. Biden, in turn, says Mr. Trump is afraid to denounce his own supporters involved in the violence.
The president this week appeared to defend Kyle Rittenhouse, an apparent supporter who has been accused of shooting and killing two people in the Kenosha riots.
Mr. Trump said it looked like the 17-year-old from Illinois was acting in self-defense after he made the trek to Kenosha armed and with the intent to protect the streets from rioters.
