Biden Claws Into Trump for ‘Temper Tantrums’ Amid Crisis
(Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden unloaded on Donald Trump on Wednesday for “having temper tantrums” and failing to empathize with Americans suffering from the effects of the coronavirus or the collapsing economy, offering his sharpest critique yet of the president’s crisis response.The presumptive Democratic nominee urged the president to change course, use his bully pulpit to set a better example for the country and flex the authority of the presidency to further mobilize the federal government to fight the virus.“He likes to say he is a wartime president. Well, he needs to step up and act like one, not harangue the press for hours on end while people are dying,” Biden said during an online town hall with food and transit workers, referring to Trump’s daily briefings in which he frequently criticizes the White House press corps.“Your friends and coworkers are dying, our family members and neighbors and friends are dying while Trump is having temper tantrums about his authority over whatever he wants as president. He said he’s the boss,” Biden continued. “Well, have we heard him offer anything that approaches a sincere expression of empathy for the people who are hurting? Have we seen any sign that he grasps just how hard it will be for people to recover from this, not just economically but physically and emotionally as well? I don’t think this is appropriate conduct for a president.”
The former vice president hadn’t been as aggressive toward Trump as some Democrats had hoped, largely eschewing partisan attacks in the hope that he could encourage Trump to take his advice.
The two spoke by phone for about 15 minutes last week, in what both men described as a cordial call during which Biden offered some of his ideas on deploying federal aid. But any deference to the president was tossed aside Wednesday.
Even as he criticized Trump, Biden tried to offer constructive advice, including repeating his call for Trump to more fully use the Defense Production Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s authorities to protect workers.
“I just hope the president has learned the lessons -- we all make mistakes -- learn the lessons of how he started off this whole thing, and begin to act in a way now that’s different than the way he’s acted in the past six months,” he said. China first reported the virus to the World Health Organization less than four months ago.
“This is what drives me crazy about our president with his two-hour press conferences,” he said. “You know, there should be a unified message from all of our leaders. Americans in times of crisis, they step up, every single one of us do our part and part of the power of the presidency is the pulpit, the bully pulpit he has, the power to set an example,” Biden said.
Biden singled out Trump’s declaration that he wouldn’t follow federal guidelines to wear a face mask in public, saying that he wears one any time he leaves his home, or when staff are operating the TV studio in the basement of his Wilmington, Delaware, home.
Empathy seems to come more naturally to Biden that it does to Trump. In endorsing Biden this week, former President Barack Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren noted his ability to convey concern to struggling people as a key reason for his candidacy.
By contrast, when Trump met with a group of coronavirus survivors at the White House on Tuesday, one woman told him that she was “feeling 85% better.” His response, though apparently lighthearted, was, “Stay away from me, please. Stay away! Keep her away!”
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