On Monday, 2020 Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden gave an address in which he blasted President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Biden said Trump uses the White House’s daily coronavirus briefings as “a place for political attacks or to lash out at the press.” The former vice president also praised New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for his efforts to battle the pandemic in New York.
Joe Biden: "Trump keeps saying that he's a wartime president—well, start to act like one."
"To paraphrase a frustrated Pres. Lincoln, writing to an inactive Gen. McClellan during the Civil War: 'If you don't want to use the army, may I borrow it?'" https://t.co/Z3azdNU1nk pic.twitter.com/c2A1Lj3taN
— ABC News (@ABC) March 23, 2020
‘Donald Trump is not to blame for the coronavirus. But he does bear responsibility for our response’
“For too long, the warning signs were ignored,” said Biden. “The president says no one saw this coming. Well that’s just not accurate…Just based on public information that I had, I warned the threat was getting worse way back on January 27.”
“We need to get in motion – get in motion today what we should have set in motion weeks ago,” Biden said.
“Donald Trump is not to blame for the coronavirus. But he does bear responsibility for our response,” Biden added, clearly reading from a teleprompter.
Joe Biden delivered his first shadow briefing on the coronavirus Monday, faulting President Trump for giving false information about the pandemic, not taking it seriously enough and not moving faster https://t.co/72cWY48N7f
— POLITICO (@politico) March 23, 2020
Biden said although he doesn’t blame Trump for coronavirus, the president is not taking it as seriously as he should. The former VP believes Trump must do more.
‘Trump keeps saying that he’s a wartime president. Well, start to act like one’
“Trump keeps saying that he’s a wartime president. Well, start to act like one,” Biden said. “To paraphrase a frustrated President Lincoln, writing to an inactive General McClellan during the Civil War, ‘If you don’t want to use the army, may I borrow it?’”
Biden tells Trump to start acting like a wartime president in coronavirus update made from a converted TV studio https://t.co/nZOlqNtQDz
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) March 23, 2020
Biden said Trump “bears responsibility for our response, and I along with every American hopes he steps up and starts to get this right.”
“In addition to that,” Biden said, before repeating the line, “In addition to that we have to make sure that we are in a position that … We are…
He then appeared to stall for time.
“Well, let me go to the second thing. I’ve spoken enough on that,” he said, moving on.
Joe Biden Slams Donald Trump In Coronavirus Address, Tells Him To Start Acting Like A Wartime President #USPolitics https://t.co/qgIgTOo0Uo
— INQUISITR (@theinquisitr) March 23, 2020
Explaining how he plans to campaign and address Americans during this crisis, Biden said. “They put in a new high-speed line into my home, they’ve converted a recreation room, basically, into a television studio. So beginning tomorrow, I guess tomorrow, I’m making the first presentation.”