President Trump’s and Joe Biden’s campaigns engaged in a bitter back-and-forth over the administration’s coronavirus crisis response, the latest harsh exchange between the incumbent commander-in-chief and the former vice president seeking to unseat him.
The Biden campaign lobbed the opening salvo Saturday after Trump was grilled during the White House’s daily press conference on reports he and his administration dismissed warnings from public health and intelligence experts about the risks posed by the novel respiratory illness. Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield also hit the president for praising China’s handling of the outbreak despite concerns the regime may not be providing a complete picture of its internal problem.
“In a moment of crisis like this, Americans need strong, steadfast leadership and a president who levels with the American people about the challenges we face and the path forward,” Bedingfield wrote in a statement. “But instead of taking charge and taking responsibility, Trump has passed the buck and failed to lead, making us more vulnerable at a precarious moment when we most need a president who will be honest with the American people and focus on actual results.”
In response, the Trump campaign blasted Biden, criticizing Delaware’s 36-year senator for giving COVID-19 “shadow briefings” and undermining the former real estate mogul’s “message of hope.” Trump spokesman Andrew Clark complained Biden was plagiarizing Trump’s plan and ripped him for dismissing the administration’s Chinese travel ban, where the first cases of the disease were reported in early December.
“In his rush to politicize the pandemic, Biden is recklessly spreading false information and sowing fear,” Clark said.
Biden, 77, announced his shadow briefings during a teleconference Friday afternoon from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, as he, his campaign, and the rest of the country hunker down to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus. He used the platform to underscore what he called untruths from the Oval Office, including how close scientists were to a vaccine, the readiness of two Navy hospital ships being deployed to assist mainland health professionals, and access to respirator masks.
“President Trump, stop saying false things, will ya?” Biden said. “People are worried — they are really frightened when these things don’t come through. He just exacerbates their concern. Stop saying false things you think make you sound like a hero and start putting the full weight of the federal government behind finding fast, safe, and effective treatments.”
The two camps have previously squabbled over the National Security Council’s focus on pandemics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s funding. They’ve also clashed over Trump describing Democratic scrutiny of his COVID-19 response as the party’s “new hoax,” whether the administration rejected World Health Organization testing kits, and if the president told state and county officials not to rely on the federal government.
Biden’s efforts to reinsert himself in the national conversation come as the outbreak transforms the way he, his remaining 2020 Democratic presidential nominee rival Bernie Sanders, and Trump campaign in the waning days of the primary contest and ahead of the general election. Social distancing recommendations mean large swaths of the country have been advised to avoid large crowds or have been ordered to stay home or shelter in place.
Trump’s approval rating amid the crisis is also climbing. He’s averaging 47.6% approval, 46.6% disapproval, according to RealClearPolitics data. However, public opinion isn’t entirely in his favor. He trails Biden in national head-to-head polls, 43.8% to 51.2%, giving the two-term vice president an advantage of 7.4 percentage points ahead of November.
