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Biden Assails Trump's Coronavirus Response

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the likely
   Democratic presidential nominee in the November national election,
   accused Republican President Donald Trump on Sunday of being slow to
   react to the coronavirus threat and still lacking the drive now to deal
   with the pandemic.

   "It's about urgency and I don't think there's been enough of it," Biden
   said on ABC's "This Week" show. He said Trump needs to "move swiftly,
   more rapidly" in dealing with the crisis.

   Trump, while leveling his own attacks on Biden's competence in recent
   news conferences, has said he appreciated his praise for Trump's action
   in January blocking flights from China to the U.S. after the
   coronavirus first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

   But Biden retorted, "We started off slow. Forty-five countries had
   acted before he did" to cut off flights from China.

   Trump's routinely refers to Biden as "Sleepy Joe," while his
   re-election campaign last week told political surrogates to
   characterize Biden and other Democrats as "the opposition" in Trump's
   effort to combat the outbreak.

   Biden, making his third run for the presidency over three decades, said
   the U.S. could need two more coronavirus rescue packages beyond the $2
   trillion package Trump signed into law more than a week ago. Trump and
   some Democratic congressional leaders have suggested that more aid may
   be needed, but currently the dominant sentiment in Washington seems to
   be to see how effective the initial assistance is before passing new
   legislation.

   Biden said he would wear a face mask when venturing out in public, but
   so far has not left his home in the eastern state of Delaware. U.S.
   health officials are now recommending, but not requiring, that people
   wear masks when they leave home.

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