Biden Blisters Trump's Response To Civil Unrest: Watch Again

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, delivered a blistering speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday following days of civil unrest in the city and across the nation.

Biden said "the moment has come” to deal with systemic racism and deeply ingrained economic inequality — and insisted that the nation can't wait until November's election and its outcome.

“I call on the Congress to act this month," Biden said, urging lawmakers to start “with real police reform" and citing proposed legislation outlawing choke holds.

But Biden stepped up his criticism of President Donald Trump as he works to elevate his voice in the national debate — after more than two months of the campaign for the White House being frozen amid the outbreak of the coronavirus.

“This president today is part of the problem and accelerates it,” Biden said, adding that Trump is “consumed with his blinding ego."

Biden’s criticism comes a day after Trump threatened the nation’s governors that he would deploy the military to states if they did not stamp out violent protests over police brutality that have roiled the nation.

Authorities under federal command later forced back peaceful demonstrators in Washington with tear gas so the president could walk to nearby church St. John’s Church and pose briefly with a Bible. The church had sustained damage during Sunday protests.

Biden noted that “peaceful protesters” were dispersed from the “doorstep of the people’s house, the White House” using tear gas and flash grenades to stage what he called a “photo op” publicity stunt.

“The president held up a Bible,” Biden added. “I just wished he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it.”

The 20-plus minute address was covered live by cable networks and Biden used it to declare, "This job’s not about me. It’s about you. It’s about us.”

“Look, the presidency is a big job. Nobody will get everything right. And I won’t either,” Biden said, but promised, "I won’t fan the flames of hate.”

The protest against the death of George Floyd started peacefully Saturday at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and moved down the Ben Franklin Parkway to Center City, where events turned destructive. Unrest followed Saturday and Sunday nights, and continued into Monday.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference Monday that from Saturday to Monday, hundreds of fires were reported and more than 400 people were arrested. She said she expects more arrests as additional people are processed.

You can watch a replay of the speech on Biden's Facebook page.

>>>Latest updates on the George Floyd protests from across the nation

The Associated Press contributed to this report.