Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump's inability to efficiently handle the ongoing crisis in the United States including coronavirus pandemic and protesters coming out on streets demanding justice for George Floyd. The recently created split-screen images of the president and the former vice president are as stark as any in a recent presidential race.
The United States is not just dealing with a pandemic, but several other crises including the nation-wide protests against the brutal murder of George Floyd. Biden strongly criticized Trump for his inability to handle these crises, while outlining his plan to reform the police department. He urged Congress to pass legislation that restricts police officers from using chokeholds.
During his speech in Philadelphia, Biden referred to historical injustice and make spoken attacks on Trump and even opened up about his son Beau Biden’s death. This was the first time Biden was addressing in public since March when the deadly coronavirus pandemic forced him and millions of other Americans to stay at home.
While admitting that presidency is a tough job and it is impossible to always make the right decision, Biden said even he is likely to make mistakes. Taking a jab at Trump, the former vice president promised that he will under no circumstances deal in fear and division, nor will he encourage hatred. In his speech, Biden assured he will leave no stone unturned in a bid to heal racial wounds that have plagued the United States for a long time, rather than using them for political gain.
The nation-wide protests were triggered by the murder of 46-year-old George Floyd, an unarmed black man who the police were taking into their custody. A Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, causing his death. The officer has been charged with third-degree murder, as an independent autopsy attributed the death to asphyxiation.
The ongoing protests, some of which can be deemed violent, have caused the president to urge his governors to use harsher methods and a bigger force when it comes to dealing with the protesters. Biden recalled Floyd's last words ‘I can’t breathe, adding that these words are still being heard as they echo across the nation.
Biden said Floyd's last words speak to a country where people find themselves in life-threatening situations just because of the color of their skin. During the speech, Biden also mentioned the death of over 100,000 American people who succumbed to the deadly COVID-19 and 40 million people who have filed for unemployment, pointing out that the majority of these deaths and job losses were among the black and other minority communities, CNBC reported.