Jul 14, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Biden welcomes Trump wearing mask in public but warns "it’s not enough"

Hans Nichols

Joe Biden commended President Trump on Tuesday for choosing to wear a mask in public, but he quickly pivoted to arguing how the move shows just how bad the coronavirus crisis has gotten under Trump's leadership.

Why it matters: By leveling his charge at the top of speech on his $2 trillion plan to combat climate change, Biden sought to keep the focus on Trump’s personal and policy responses to the coronavirus. "Mr. President, ‘open everything now” isn’t a strategy for success, it’s barely a slogan," Biden said.

What he's saying:

"We're still a country in crisis. The pandemic has affected more than 3 million Americans. It has cost more than 135,000 lives and climbing. And it shows no signs of slowing down. ... It's gotten bad enough that even Donald Trump finally decided to wear a mask in public. I'm glad he made the shift. Mr. President, it's not enough. We won't be able to turn the corner and get the American people back to work safely without presidential leadership. ... Mr. President, please listen to your public health experts instead of denigrating them. Do your job, Mr. President."

— Joe Biden

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Biden welcomes Trump wearing mask in public but warns "it’s not enough"

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