Peaceful protests are part of American's culture and change needs to happen, but Democrats aren't calling out people who are rioting, looting, and attacking police officers during the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, the Minnesota man who died after being held by a policeman's knee to his neck, Rep. Doug Collins said Tuesday.
"You cannot call out Antifa and these agitators and anarchists who are in the middle of these peaceful protests who have now made them into something that is very damaging?" the Georgia Republican said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
The acts of violence are "damaging to our culture," Collins added, because "people do not feel safe on the streets because of people who want to use the death of someone to actually just go in and steal something. That should never be allowed."
Collins also spoke out about the media's reaction to President Donald Trump's visit to St. John's Episcopal Church, after reports slammed his walk as a photo op that happened after police officers used tear gas and flash bangs to first clear the site of nearby protesters.
"I think they seem more concerned that he actually had a Bible," said Collins. "A symbol of our faith seems to be more concerning to them than the actual issues that are going on in our country right now. If the Washington Post and our Democratic leadership would actually get together . . . let’s start talking about ideas that can actually help our communities – bring concern and love and communities together."
Meanwhile, the Judiciary Committee will be working on an elections bill Wednesday, said Collins, but he thinks lawmakers should be talking about unity for the country, as that would be "about something that matters."