Joe Biden accused Donald Trump of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and retreating when over 125,000 American people have succumbed to the deadly pathogen. In a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, the Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee recalled what he described as Trump's missteps, specifically his initial dismissals of the virus and decision not to wear a mask while in public.
Earlier this year, Trump touted himself as a wartime president in going toe-to-toe with the coronavirus. Biden noted that it is almost July, but it looks like the wartime president is retreating, waving the white flag, and leaving the battlefield.
Biden remarks come as he continues to lead in recent polls of nation-wide voters. In addition to that, the 77-year-old former vice president leads Trump in key swing states. Moreover, Biden's recent public appearances have been restricted to small, invite-only crowds.
Trump's campaign tried portraying Biden as in cognitive decline, often using irrelevant footage from his public appearances. Responding to the president's campaign, Biden said he can hardly wait to debate Trump, whom he criticized for either not reading or not remembering the contents of his daily briefing.
The White House continues to defend the president, insisting that he was not personally briefed on reports about Russia offering bounties to the Taliban for killing American troops in Afghanistan. The president's aides claim that the intelligence was neither verified nor reliable.
If Trump wasn't briefed, Biden says it was the abandonment of responsibility, and if he was briefed and didn't do anything, that too can be deemed as a dereliction of duty. When a reporter asked Biden if he has been tested for cognitive decline, the former vice president said he was waiting with bated breath to compare his cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of Trump.
While both Trump and Biden miss no opportunity to take a jab at the opponent, they both have found something to agree on. A report from Hindustan Times suggests the president, as well as his predecessor's former aide, said the impending election could be subject to corruption due to officials mishandling the voting process.
In his latest speech, Biden reiterated a slew of previously issued proposals including the formation of a national board that manages a massive surge in coronavirus testing. A larger portion of his remarks directly addressed Trump, urging the president to accept his proposals without wasting time.
Biden said the steps Trump has taken so far haven't worked, and he needs to solve the problem of scarcity of PPE for the country's health care workers before heading for another round of golf.