2020 US Elections: Barack Obama Criticizes Donald Trump’s ‘Crazy’ Covid-19 ‘Ruining’ In Biden’s First Speech

Barack Obama compared US President Donald Trump to a “crazy uncle” who has emboldened racism, tarnished the country’s position in the world and caused deaths in the United States by refusing to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously .

The 44th president of the United States delivered the searing denunciation of Trump as part of his first campaign speech to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, as Americans prepared to cast their votes in next month’s momentous elections.

“With Joe and Kamala at the helm, you won’t have to think about the crazy things they said every day,” Obama said at a Biden campaign rally in Philadelphia.

“They will be able to get on with their lives knowing that the president is not going to retweet conspiracy theories about secret cabal that rule the world or that the Navy seals did not kill Bin Laden,” Obama continued, referring to posts in which Trump recently retweeted. Twitter.

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“That is not normal presidential behavior. We would not tolerate it from a high school principal. We would not tolerate it from a coach. We would not tolerate it from a co-worker. We wouldn’t tolerate it in our family, except maybe for some crazy uncle somewhere. “

Obama’s fighting words drew roars and honks from the assembled Biden supporters, who largely stayed in their cars and wore face masks in accordance with federal Covid-19 guidelines.

At Covid-19, Obama noted that his White House developed a “pandemic playbook” for future administrations to use.

“They probably used it to, I don’t know, prop up a wobbly table somewhere,” Obama said. “We don’t know where that playbook went.”

With the death toll from Covid-19 in the United States above 221,000, Obama said that the failure of Trump’s handling of the pandemic can be measured by the fact that he himself contracted the virus.

“Donald Trump is not suddenly going to protect us. You can’t even take the basic steps to protect yourself, “Obama said. “This pandemic would have been a challenge for any president, but this idea that somehow this White House has done anything but completely ruin it is not true.”

The former president had a particular problem with Trump’s hesitancy to provide relief to the millions of Americans who were forced into unemployment due to the pandemic, linking it to recent reports revealing that the president only paid $ 750 in income taxes during his first year in office.

“How is that possible?” Obama said. “If you live large and only pay $ 750 in taxes, maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t know what the workers are going through here in Pennsylvania. We can’t afford four more years of this. “

Obama also highlighted Trump’s long history of refusing to condemn white supremacists.

“There are consequences for these actions. They encourage other people to be cruel, divisive and racist, ”Obama said. “And it frays the fabric of our society and affects the way our children see things … It affects the way the world views America.”

Obama’s return to the election campaign comes as Biden has a comfortable lead over Trump in nearly every national poll. The former vice president is also defeating Trump in key states, such as Pennsylvania.

But Obama pleaded with voters not to become complacent, pointing to Trump’s repeated refusals to promise a peaceful transfer of power and threats to challenge the results in court if he loses.

“We cannot leave any doubt in this election,” Obama said. “Because you know the president already said, ‘If this gets close, I’m just going to make things up.’ He’s already starting to do it … We can’t be complacent. Not this time. Not in this election. “

Elections, Obama said, are about voters wondering if they are doing better than four years ago.

“Four years ago you would be here at the Linc instead of watching a speech from your cars,” Obama said from a podium with Lincoln Financial Field behind him. “Philadelphia, we have 13 days. That’s our lucky number: 13 days until the most important election of our entire lives.”

Biden, he said, is ready for the presidency because of his experience in the Obama administration.

“For eight years, Joe was the last in the room when I faced a big decision,” Obama said. “He made me a better president. And he has the character and the experience to make us a better country.”

Obama’s visit came on a day when a Quinnipiac University poll found Biden leading Trump by 8 percentage points, 51% -43%, among likely voters in Pennsylvania, with 5% undecided. The results of the poll, conducted Oct. 16-19, fell short of a 13-point lead the former vice president held in a Quinnipiac poll conducted after the first presidential debate.

Biden, meanwhile, voiced support for silencing candidates’ microphones if they speak after the allotted time Thursday, when the last candidate showdown is scheduled.

The campaign’s decision to send Obama to Philadelphia first indicates how important the state and the involvement of blacks in his largest city are to Biden.

Although African American voters overwhelmingly favor Biden, the Democrat has performed comparatively worse with young blacks than with women.

Trump has included appealing to black male voters in his reelection campaign.

There was a lot of fanfare Wednesday night in South Philadelphia. Fans decorated cars with Biden flags and improvised dances broke out before the show began.

The event was not open to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, and only people who receive tickets through the Biden campaign attended. It was streamed live on the Biden campaign website.

– New York Daily News, The Philadelphia Inquirer