Former Vice President Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump during his Wednesday appearance in Michigan, highlighting tapes reported by Washington Post columnist Bob Woodward in which Trump admitted to downplaying the severity of coronavirus.
Biden made the comments in the opening minutes of his campaign appearance in Michigan, which was largely focused on attacking Trump’s economic record. The appearance came hours after Woodward reported that Trump told him in interviews in February and March that he knew coronavirus was more severe than the flu and that he had intentionally downplayed the severity of the disease to keep the nation calm.
“It’s beyond despicable. It’s a dereliction of duty,” Biden said, adding that Trump “knowingly and willingly lied about the threat [coronavirus] posed to the country for months…he failed to do his job on purpose.” Donald Trump knew.
He lied to us for months.
And while a deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job — on purpose.
It was a life or death betrayal of the American people. https://t.co/WDmVUvmmJk
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 9, 2020
