Former Vice President Joe Biden said at a virtual town hall Wednesday that President Trump is "having temper tantrums" amid the novel coronavirus outbreak instead of offering concern to those affected.
What he's saying: "He likes to say he’s a wartime president," Biden said. "Well, he needs to begin to step up and act like one. ... Not harangue the press for hours on end while people are dying, your friends and co-workers are dying, our family members and friends and neighbors are dying, while Trump is having temper tantrums about his authority."
Between the lines: Biden and Trump discussed over the phone this month the U.S. response to the pandemic, and the presumptive Democratic nominee has blasted the president's handling of the crisis.
- Following Trump's claim earlier this week of "total authority" over states' economies reopening, Biden tweeted in response: "I am not running for office to be King of America. I respect the Constitution."