Joe Biden and other Democratic luminaries like to pretend all that’s happening in Portland is “peaceful protests.” That’s hardly the whole story. What’s also happening in the Rose City are violent late-night assaults on the country’s governing institutions in an attempt to undermine the rule of law. Russia and China could only hope to be as effective in damaging the U.S. and its global image as the thugs whose work we’ve seen for almost nine weeks.

Nor is this the handiwork of both far-right and left provocateurs, as former Democratic National Chairman Donna Brazile claimed Monday. If there were right-wing nuts leading this violence, the liberal mayors and governors in Oregon and Washington would have been condemning it. This lawlessness was created by America’s political left.

Fearing the party’s progressive wing, Democratic Party leaders don’t condemn the nightly violence. That could be a problem. A June 5 CNN poll found 69% of Americans felt “the violent protests that have occurred” are “unjustified.” In the almost two months since, that number is likely to have risen in cities where the mayhem has continued.

Mr. Biden speaks frequently of “leadership” and “unity,” almost always to decry President Trump’s failure to provide either. But if Mr. Biden wants to provide leadership and promote unity, why hasn’t he specifically decried the Portland and Seattle violence? Why has he never called on their mayors to protect the courthouses with local police? Why won’t he urge the leaders of peaceful protests to end their silence and join in denouncing the violence?