Joe Biden Slams Donald Trump Over Pandemic Handling: ‘Get Off Twitter’
In a Wednesday speech in his home state of Delaware, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. As reported by The Hill, the former vice president suggested that schools would be able to safely reopen in the fall if the COVID-19 crisis was handled better by the current administration.
“This year, we’re facing the most difficult circumstances and we’re seeing an awful lot of heart and a lot of grit from our educators and our students to try to rise to the occasion here,” he said.
Biden continued to suggest that the federal government has not met the moment and claimed it lacked the determination to address the coronavirus adequately.
According to the former vice president, a more practical grasp of the early days of the crisis would have paved the way for educational institutions to open safely.
“Instead, American families all across this country are paying the price for his failures, his administration’s failures,” he said.
In regards to particular failures, Biden accused the Trump administration of missing the early window to implement widespread testing and contact tracing in March and April. He also slammed the lack of clear science-based guidelines for local and state authorities, as well as Trump’s disregard of public health recommendations, such as wearing a mask and social distancing.
“Get off Twitter and start talking to the congressional leaders of both parties. Invite them to the Oval Office. You always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal, a deal for somebody other than yourself.”
Per Reuters, by way of the National Post, the criticism comes as both Trump and Biden attempt to paint each other as the leaders that can keep the U.S. safe amid COVID-19 and the civil unrest that continues to grip the country.
Before Biden’s Wednesday criticisms, The Hill reported that his campaign was signaling a forthcoming attack on Trump’s COVID-19 response. In particular, Biden campaign aide Symone Sanders took a press call with reporters and accused Trump of moving forward too fast with his school reopening plans and failing to create a meaningful pandemic plan.
According to Sanders, Biden is currently working with experts to develop a strategy to help take control of the pandemic and safely reopen schools.
The push to reopen schools has been a topic of debate as the pandemic continues to take hundreds of American lives daily. As The Inquisitr reported, multiple virus experts previously backed Trump’s push for reopening educational institutions, although some expressed opposition to the president’s leadership as a whole.
