Audio By Carbonatix
Former President Barack Obama described President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as “chaotic” in a conference call with former members of his administration, a source said on Saturday.
Obama has largely kept out of the fray even as Trump has blamed him and his Democratic administration for a variety of problems related to having sufficient supplies to battle the pandemic that has killed more than 75,000 Americans.
But in his call on Friday with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration, Obama urged his supporters to get behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who is trying to unseat Trump in the Nov. 3 election.
The contents of the call were first reported by Yahoo News. A source familiar with the call confirmed them to Reuters.
Obama said the election “is so important because what we’re going to be battling is not just a particular individual or a political party.”
“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,” he said.
He said this is one reason why “the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty.”
“It would have been bad even with the best of governments. 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 operationalized in our government,” Obama said.
“That’s why, I, by the way, am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden,” he said.
Obama’s office declined to comment.
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Trump’s response to the coronavirus “has been unprecedented” and has saved American lives.
She harked back to the Ukraine inquiry launched by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives last year that led to House passage of articles of impeachment against Trump. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump early this year.
Latest Stories
-
Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira MP kicks against VALCO sale
33 minutes -
No evidence of theft in Unibank Case – A‑G explains withdrawal of charges against Dr Duffour
1 hour -
Labourer remanded for threatening to kill mother
1 hour -
Court remands farmer over GH¢110,000 car fraud
2 hours -
Tension mounts at Akyem Akroso over ‘sale’ of royal cemetery
2 hours -
Poor planning fueling transport crisis—Prof. Beyuo
3 hours -
Ahiagbah slams Prof. Frimpong-Boateng over “fake” party slur
3 hours -
Family traumatised as body of Presby steward goes ‘missing’ at mortuary
3 hours -
Why Ghana must maintain the NPA’s price floor in the petroleum market
4 hours -
Serwaa Amihere apologises to PRESEC community over ‘homosexual breeding ground’ comment
5 hours -
Dr Arthur Kennedy slams NPP’s “dubious” plot to expel Prof Frimpong-Boateng
5 hours -
NAIMOS apprehends five Chinese nationals in galamsey raid in the Eastern Region
5 hours -
The role of foreign elements in the radicalisation of recent protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran
6 hours -
NPP discipline must extend to Akufo-Addo over poor governance – Arthur K
6 hours -
Bryan Acheampong warns of permanent NPP split if Bawumia or Ken wins 2028 ticket
6 hours
