Biden slams Trump on ‘wartime president’ claim

Biden slams Trump on ‘wartime president’ claim

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading Democratic candidate to challenge Donald Trump in the November U.S. presidential election, on Monday (March 23) blasted the president's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

"Donald Trump is not to blame for the coronavirus, but he does bear responsibility for our response," Biden said in a live streamed address.

Trump and top administration officials for weeks downplayed the outbreak, which began in China in December, before shifting their tone about the severity of the health crisis more recently.

"These briefings are an important opportunity to inform and reassure the American public.

They're not a place for political attacks or to lash out at the press," Biden added.