Meadows: ‘Most of Donald Trump’s America is peaceful’

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that most of President Trump’s America is “peaceful” in response to fatal shootings at protests in Kenosha,Wis. and Portland Ore. that Meadows blamed on Democrat-run cities.

Chuck Todd, the moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” challenged Meadows on the Trump campaign’s narrative that Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s presidency would cause the U.S. to be less safe. 

{mosads}“I look at the violence this week, Mr. Meadows,” Todd said. “This is in Donald Trump’s America. How much responsibility should voters be giving the president for his inability to keep the streets safe?”

“Well I mean you can try to reframe it that way, Chuck, but that’s just not accurate,” Meadows said, adding that the Trump administration offered help to Kenosha, which was at first denied before the fatal shooting in Kenosha last week. Wisconsin and local officials later accepted the assistance.  

The White House chief of staff blamed local and state Democratic officials for the violent outbreaks at the demonstrations in Wisconsin and Oregon after federal assistance was refused. Meadows called on Portland officials to accept the additional support.

“These are people that every single night, conduct violent acts, and it is in Democrat cities,” he said referring to the demonstrators. 

“Most of Donald Trump’s America is peaceful,” he added. “It is a Democrat-led city in Portland that we’re talking about this morning, who just yesterday denied help once again from the federal government.”

WATCH: @MarkMeadows says “Donald Trump’s America is peaceful” after deadly shootings in Kenosha and Portland. #MTP @chucktodd: “You’re saying these are all Democratic cities … does the president not believe he has responsibility of governing and leading the entire country?” pic.twitter.com/5WRA7AzV53

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 30, 2020

Todd pushed Meadows on his remarks asking if Trump believes he doesn’t have “responsibility of governing and leading the entire country.”

Meadows replied saying Trump “does govern and lead the entire country,” but local authorities are in control and “can be supported by” federal law enforcement when requested.  

“I can tell you that we are ready,” he said. “In fact, the president is ready to make sure that we provide whatever law enforcement and support that we can.”

Last week, one person was fatally shot in protests in Portland, and two were fatally shot during demonstrations in Kenosha.

Protests in Portland have continued since the May death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis police custody. The Trump administration in July sent federal authorities to quell the protests, which intensified tensions in the city. 

In Kenosha, demonstrations broke out after a video circulated last week showing the police shooting of Jacob Blake at least seven times in the back as he opened a door of his SUV.