Biden looks to turn campaign focus to pandemic

"You always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal. A deal for somebody other than yourself."

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took sharp aim at President Donald Trump on Wednesday, looking to shift the focus of the race from civil unrest back to the country's overriding health crisis, Trump's handling of it and how to safely reopen the nation’s schools.

"If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on with this crisis, American schools would be open and they'd be open safely... This is a national emergency. But President Trump still doesn't have any real plan for how to open our schools safely... Mr. President, where are you? Where are you? Why aren't you working on this? We need emergency support, funding for our schools and we need it now. Mr. President, that's your job. That's your job. That's what you should be focused on now, getting our kids back to school safely... Not whipping up fear and division. Not inciting violence in our streets. Get off Twitter."

Biden's event in Wilmington, Delaware was part of his campaign's ongoing effort to make the Nov. 3 election a referendum on the Trump administration's response to the worst health crisis in 100 years, and came as millions of students are starting a new school year either virtually or under restrictive conditions.

Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday delivered remarks to a large group of supporters in Wilmington, North Carolina, where few attendees wore masks or kept a distance from one another.

The day prior, and against the wishes of local leaders, Trump visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, to praise law enforcement and tour property damage in a city rocked by civil unrest.

Biden's campaign said the former vice president plans to travel to Kenosha on Thursday, where he will hold a community meeting.