The White House on Thursday blamed a rash of smash-and-grab raids around the country on COVID-19, saying the pandemic was a 'root cause.'
In California, organized crime syndicates have been accused of paying gangs to ransack luxury stores and steal thousands of dollars worth of goods.
Major cities elsewhere have also reported a surge in store break-ins, including Chicago and its suburbs, where more than a dozen suspects attacked a Louis Vuitton store recently stole more than $120,000 worth of high-end clothing and other merchandise.
White House Press Secretary was asked about crime and attacks on police officers during her daily briefing, and whether the president still thought the pandemic was to blame.
'I think many people have conveyed that and also one of the ... root causes of crime in communities is guns and gun violence,' she said. 'And we've seen that statistically around the country.'
Fox News' Peter Doocy continued with his line of questioning
He said: 'So when a huge group of criminals organises themselves and they want to go loot, a store, CVS and Nordstrom a Home Depot until the shelves are clean, you think that's because of the pandemic?'
Psaki replied: 'I think a root cause in a lot of communities is the pandemic. Yes.'
White House Press Secretary on Thursday said the pandemic was a 'root cause' of crime when asked about the surge in smash-and-grab raids around the country in recent weeks
Suspects took about $120,000 of merchandise as they smashed their way through a Louis Vuitton store in Oak Brook, Illinois, last month
A group of about 40 to 50 teenage shoplifters made off with an unknown amount of jewelry and other items in Hayward, California, last month. Experts and officials say national crime networks are behind many of the 'smash-and-grab ' operations
The White House and the president have made the same point a number of times this year, suggesting that a surge in violent crime this year was the result of the country reopening.
In June, Biden said: As we emerge from this pandemic, with the country opening back up again, the traditional summer's ... summer spike may even be more pronounced than it usually would be.'
Psaki's comments follow a string of reports of attacks on well-known stores and the intervention of former President Trump who hours earlier accused the mainstream media of ignoring the issue.
'You know, the media, outside of you people and a few others, the media isn't reporting this problem but when you have hoards of people running in, kids mostly, running in and stealing, robbing
