Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
Donald Trump has hit back at Barack Obama after his presidential predecessor branded his handling of the coronavirus pandemic a “chaotic disaster”.
The US president claimed his administration was “getting great marks” and derided Mr Obama’s response to the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak as “a disaster” and argued he “didn’t have a clue”.
He also included in his criticism former vice-president and his Democrat challenger for the White House Joe Biden, who he dubbed “Sleepy Joe
The war of words came after Mr Obama’s comments emerged from a leaked conference call with former members of his administration.
The ex-president said: “What we’re fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy – that has become a stronger impulse in American life.”
Mr Obama said that the world’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak had been “anaemic and spotty”.
Although he said the fallout from coronavirus in the US would have been bad “even with the best of governments”, he added: “It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset – of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ – when that mindset is operationalised in our government.”
The former president also vowed he would be “campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden” ahead of November’s election.
In response, Mr Trump tweeted: “We are getting great marks for the handling of the CoronaVirus pandemic, especially the very early BAN of people from China, the infectious source, entering the USA.
“Compare that to the Obama/Sleepy Joe disaster known as H1N1 Swine Flu. Poor marks, bad polls – didn’t have a clue!”
We are getting great marks for the handling of the CoronaVirus pandemic, especially the very early BAN of people from China, the infectious source, entering the USA. Compare that to the Obama/Sleepy Joe disaster known as H1N1 Swine Flu. Poor marks, bad polls – didn’t have a clue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2020
With more than 75,000 deaths, the US has had more fatalities from COVID-19 than any other country. Almost 1.3 million people have been infected there so far.
During the swine flu pandemic, there were nearly 61 million cases of infection but fewer than 13,000 deaths over a whole year.
Mr Obama has made few public comments about America’s response to the pandemic, even as Mr Trump accused his administration of failing to stockpile supplies.
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany has described Mr Trump’s handling of the coronavirus as “unprecedented” – and claimed the president’s actions have helped save American lives.
“While Democrats were pursuing a sham witch hunt against President Trump, President Trump was shutting down travel from China. While Democrats encouraged mass gatherings, President Trump was deploying PPE, ventilators, and testing across the country,” she said.
Polls suggest that the race between Donald Trump and Mr Biden is tight, with just six months to go until Americans cast their vote.
Mr Obama’s remarks were first reported by Yahoo News, and the former president’s office has declined to comment on the leak.
