On Thursday, Joe Biden slammed President Trump’s response to the coronavirus outbreak while speaking in Wilmington, Del., on Thursday afternoon. “The administration’s failure on testing is colossal and it’s a failure of leadership, planning, and execution,” Biden said. “This virus laid bare the severe shortcomings of the current administration.”
Biden went on to suggest things that should have been done. And if you thought they sounded familiar, you’re right, because immediately after blaming Trump for not doing enough, Biden suggested things that have, in fact, already been done.
Joe Biden said “no efforts should be spared” to get private labs and universities working to rapidly expand testing for coronavirus. Congratulations Joe, President Trump did this weeks ago when he ordered the FDA to allow hundreds of private labs and academic hospitals to rapidly begin testing for coronavirus.
Joe Biden also said that small businesses will need relief from the economic impact of the coronavirus. Congratulations, Joe, Trump literally called for $50 billion in liquidity to small business owners a day prior to Biden’s remarks and has asked Congress for even more relief.
The former vice president also said insurance companies should waive copays for coronavirus testing, which is a good idea. And guess what? Trump already did that, too, as well as getting commitments from providers to expand their coverage include treatment for the coronavirus in their plans.
Think Biden was done ripping off President Trump’s actions and presenting them as his own ideas? Nope. He added that we need to “accelerate” the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Hey, guess what happened in January while Democrats were all focused on impeachment? The Trump administration fast-tracked the development of a vaccine with the goal of clinical trials to begin within months.
Echoing what pretty much all experts have been advising for weeks now, Joe Biden also advised Americans not to go to work if they’re sick, to wash their hands (duh), and to avoid large public gatherings… which Trump advised Americans to do last month.
It takes a lot of gall to blast Trump’s response to the coronavirus and then call for the exact same courses of action Trump has taken and try to pass it off as your own plan. Plagiarism is hardly a new thing for Joe Biden, but this example truly takes the cake. Trump’s decisive actions in response to the outbreak saved lives, but Biden cares more about politicizing the issue and, I suppose, assuming credit for coming up with ideas that Trump already put in place.
This may be because Biden is trying to cover up the fact that he has a lousy record when it comes to public health crises. “In the past, Joe Biden has shown terrible judgment and incompetence in the face of public health issues,” Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for the Trump campaign said in a statement. “The Obama White House had to publicly apologize for and clean up after Biden when his irresponsible remarks caused panic during the swine flu outbreak in 2009. Just weeks ago, he was openly critical of President Trump’s early move to restrict travel from China to the United States in response to the coronavirus – a decision which medical experts agree helped impede the spread of the virus to this country.”
Murtaugh also blasted the Biden campaign for raising the “vile conspiracy theory that the President purposely allowed the coronavirus to spread.”
“In times like this, America needs leadership and Biden has shown none,” Murtaugh continued. “President Trump acted early and decisively and has put the United States on stronger footing than other nations. His every move has been aimed at keeping Americans safe, while Joe Biden has sought to capitalize politically and stoke citizens’ fears.”
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Matt Margolis is the author of Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama’s Legacy and the bestselling book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattMargolis
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