WH Press Secretary Psaki: Root Cause of Mass Looting is COVID-19

In cities across America, criminals and repeat offenders are breaking into retail stores across the country, stealing merchandise, and destroying storefronts and property. And the cities where most of this criminal activity is occurring are also those that have changed their policies for the worse –policies like no bail, no bond, and criminals being quickly released back into the streets.

In a press conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about this issue:

But, to your point, so when a huge group of criminals organizes themselves and they want to go loot a store – a CVS, a Nordstrom, a Home Depot – until the shelves are clean, do you think that’s because of the pandemic?

To which, Sec. Psaki blamed the pandemic for this violence:

I think a root cause in a lot of communities is the pandemic, yes.

ACLJ Director of Government Affairs Thann Bennett explained how this is not related to the pandemic:

It is things like “defund the police” or the fact that there are no consequences for actions. No bail policies. No bond policies. If you reverse those policies, it would make a direct impact on this criminal activity. . . . Then on a societal level, you see group after group on the Left doing things like attacking the value of the nuclear family or attacking the presence of the parents in the lives of children. . . . Both the policy and the societal side, it is like they are throwing up their hands and pretending there is nothing they can do but blame it on the pandemic.

ACLJ Director of Policy Harry Hutchison explained how this incentivizes criminal behavior:

What Jen Psaki and the Biden Administration ignore is that neither guns nor COVID has anything to do with America’s crime wave. What is most imperative to understand with respect to America’s crime wave is that it is driven by ideological considerations. So, where was Joe Biden when the defund the police movement started? Where was Joe Biden when the low bail movement was started? So, if you consider the individual charged with driving his SUV into his Christmas parade and massacring up to 7 or 8 people in Wisconsin. Mr. Brooks is what, a career criminal. He was out on $1,000 cash bail after he allegedly punched the mother of his child and purposely ran over her with her vehicle. And after being convicted for abusing his partner . . . and what was he out on bail for in terms of the total amount? Roughly $1,000, maybe $1,500 dollars. So, what we are doing in these blue cities is, we are incentivizing crime.

The Biden Administration and the Left are not only incentivizing crime here at home, but they are also incentivizing our adversaries to attack our allies around the world. After the world watched President Biden’s failed Afghanistan withdrawal, other leaders have ramped up the aggression. The U.S. has discovered troops staged around the Ukraine border looking ready to attack at a moment’s notice.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted that the U.S. has no idea what Russia will do: 

We don’t know whether President Putin has made the decision to invade. We do know that he’s putting in place the capacity to do so on short order, should he so decide. So, despite uncertainty about intention, and timing, we must prepare for all contingencies while working to see to it that Russia reverses course.

ACLJ Senior Advisor for National Security and former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell debunked Sec. Blinken’s statement:

What we do know . . . is that most foreign policy problems can’t be solved unless the United States shows leadership. And we are not showing any leadership right now. Remember during the Obama-Biden days, Susan Rice was our National Security Advisor, and her Deputy was Antony Blinken – our Secretary of State. You’ve got this pattern where this team has done nothing when the Russians grabbed Crimea and now, we’ve given them a pipeline. . . And for our Secretary of State to say we don’t know what the motives of Russia are or what the plans are is a ridiculous statement . . . I would say this is a big moment for Congress to step in and say to the Administration, get tough and get focused because you’re failing us right now.

The Biden Administration is failing in handling Russia and failing when it comes to policies around organized retail crime. It is time the Biden Administration gets tough on allowing criminals to circumvent the law and get away with their crimes.

Today’s full Sekulow broadcast is complete with even more analysis of rising crime in America and a potential attack from Russia in Ukraine.

Watch the full broadcast below.

Support the work of the ACLJ, as we continue to bring you expert analysis on the issues that matter most. Have your Tax-Deductible gift DOUBLED through our Matching Challenge.