Trump calls Biden 'stupid', demands apology for challenging him on vaccines
Republican President Donald Trump, accused by Joe Biden of putting lives at risk in his handling of the coronavirus, on Monday called his Democratic rival “stupid” and demanded an apology for what Trump called anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Trailing in national opinion polls as the US death toll from the virus approaches 190,000, Trump unleashed a broad attack against both the former vice president, his opponent in the Nov 3 election, and Biden’s running mate, US Senator Kamala Harris...
Republican President Donald Trump, accused by Joe Biden of putting lives at risk in his handling of the coronavirus, on Monday called his Democratic rival “stupid” and demanded an apology for what Trump called anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Trailing in national opinion polls as the US death toll from the virus approaches 190,000, Trump unleashed a broad attack against both the former vice president, his opponent in the Nov 3 election, and Biden’s running mate, US Senator Kamala Harris.
Trump has said that a vaccine against the virus would be ready in record time, perhaps before the election, raising questions about whether political pressure might result in the deployment of a vaccine before it is safe.
Harris had said she would not trust Trump with a vaccine before the election and Biden, critical of Trump’s response to the virus, has urged Americans to heed the scientists. Critics accuse Trump of undermining scientists during the pandemic.
Speaking in front of the White House at a US Labor Day news conference, Trump said: “Biden and his very liberal running mate, the most liberal person in Congress by the way - is not a competent person, in my opinion, would destroy this country and would destroy this economy - should immediately apologise for the reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric that they are talking right now,” adding: “It undermines science.”
The president called Biden “stupid”.
Trump again dismissed a report in The Atlantic that he had referred to fallen US soldiers as “suckers” and “losers” and highlighted a denial of the story by an aide to former White House chief of staff John Kelly, Zach Fuentes.
“The story is a hoax,” Trump said. “Who would say a thing like that? Only an animal would say a thing like that.”
In rambling remarks, the president also hailed the US labour market’s recovery from the pandemic-fuelled recession and suggested Biden would undo that progress.
Trump has sought to paint himself as best-placed to revive the economy, despite criticism that his initial dismissal of the virus threat led to both a health crisis as well as a recession.
Meanwhile, Biden cited the reported remarks while campaigning in the electoral battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Referring to his son Beau Biden, who served in Iraq as a member of the Delaware National Guard and died of brain cancer in 2015, he said: “Beau was wasn’t a loser or a sucker. ... He served with heroes.”
Biden’s visit to Pennsylvania on Monday kicked off a flurry of travel to battleground states this week by both Biden and Trump as some opinion polls show the race tightening with less than 60 days to go until the Nov 3 election.
With the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over racism and police brutality commanding attention in recent months, Biden is seeking to maintain his edge by painting the Republican president as an ineffectual leader who thrives on chaos and has left the working class behind.
Trump has struggled to change the contours of the campaign despite highly charged rhetoric on racial polarization and “law and order” intended to motivate his base and draw new supporters in suburban parts of key swing states, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Labour endorsements
Biden met with union leaders in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania capital, and spoke virtually with the leader of the largest federation of US labour unions, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. He also took questions from union workers and met earlier in the day with union members who served in the US military.
Biden’s campaign also announced the endorsements of three unions: the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the International Union of Elevator Constructors and the National Federation of Federal Employees.
Biden promised to be the “strongest labour president” in the history of the country, vowing to hold executives legally accountable if they interfere with union organising, and to raise the minimum wage and strengthen the National Labor Relations Board.
“Folks have figured out that it’s not the financial wizards of Wall Street that make this country run. It’s you, the essential workers,” Biden said during the virtual event with Trumka.
Trump said that if Biden were elected, the Democrat would mandate another economic shutdown to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
“Biden’s plan for the China virus is to shut down the entire US economy,” Trump said. “He’d be laying off tens of millions of workers and causing countless deaths from suicide, substance abuse, depression, heart disease and other very serious illnesses.”
Trump plans to visit North Carolina, Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania later in the week, all considered crucial to both candidates’ chances of victory.
Polls in Pennsylvania, which Trump won narrowly in 2016, have consistently put Biden in the lead, but averages show that margin narrowing to roughly 4 to 5 percentage points, down from about 8 points in late June. Biden is scheduled to be back in Pennsylvania on Friday.
- Reuters
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