U.S. President Donald Trump, never known for temperate language on Monday called Joe Biden, his Democratic rival “stupid” and demanded an apology for what Trump called anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Trailing in national opinion polls as the U.S. death toll from the virus approaches 190,000, Trump unleashed a broad attack against both the former vice president, his opponent in the Nov. 3 election, and Biden’s running mate, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris.
Trump has said that a vaccine against the virus would be ready in record time, perhaps before the election, raising questions about whether political pressure might result in the deployment of a vaccine before it is safe.
Harris had said she would not trust Trump with a vaccine before the election and Biden, critical of Trump’s response to the virus, has urged Americans to heed the scientists.
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Critics had accused Trump of undermining scientists during the pandemic.
Speaking in front of the White House at a U.S. Labor Day news conference, Trump said: “Biden and his very liberal running mate, the most liberal person in Congress by the way – is not a competent person in my opinion, would destroy this country and would destroy this economy – should immediately apologise for the reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric that they are talking right now,” adding: “It undermines science.”
The president called Biden “stupid.”
Trump again dismissed a report in The Atlantic that he had referred to fallen U.S. soldiers as “suckers” and “losers” and highlighted a denial of the story by an aide to former White House chief of staff John Kelly, Zach Fuentes.
“The story is a hoax,” Trump said. “Who would say a thing like that? Only an animal would say a thing like that.”
In rambling remarks the president also hailed the U.S. labor market’s recovery from the pandemic-fueled recession and suggested Biden would undo that progress.
Trump has sought to paint himself as best-placed to revive the economy, despite criticism that his initial dismissal of the virus threat led to both a health crisis as well as a recession.
AFP