Kellyanne Conway says former Vice President Joe Biden should be helping President Donald Trump manage the coronavirus pandemic – a crisis made exponentially worse by his own bad decisions and utter mismanagement.
Trump infamously has said about many problems, “I alone can fix it.” He is likely the first U.S. president (not counting George Washington) – at least in modern times – who has not reached out to his predecessor for help or advice. And he attacked Biden, just weeks ago, on how the former Vice President managed the H1N1 influenza virus (aka, “swine flu,”) outbreak and the threat of Ebola. (Fact check: Biden did very well.)
“I think it’s really disappointing to have President Obama’s number two, who apparently doesn’t talk much to him, out there criticizing instead of saying, ‘Hey, here’s what we did that we thought was effective,’” Conway told “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday, as The Hill reported.
“Why doesn’t Vice President Biden call the White House today to offer some support? He’s in his bunker in Wilmington,” she said, ignoring the Surgeon General’s direction, and her own words, that everyone should stay at home to stop the spread.
“I have to tell you we’re not talking about politics here at the White House at all. We’re talking about ventilators and vaccines, not Biden and Bernie.”
That is false, as numerous reports have made clear President Trump has politicized the coronavirus pandemic. For example, he’s sent medical supplies and equipment to Florida over blue states in an attempt to grab their 29 electoral votes. He’s ordered Vice President Mike Pence to not call Democratic governors, like Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer. And he’s laughed at how he punked the press, telling White House aides to watch how media outlets reported on his supposed change of tone.
“I think the critics and the naysayers seem so much more small and so much more shrill and unhelpful and petty than they ever have,” the President’s Senior Counselor told Fox News.
Biden ended up more than happy to offer to call Trump to offer his help.
What did Trump do in return? His campaign tweeted out manipulated audio that makes it sound like Biden called the coronavirus a “hoax” – which he did not.
Biden will call Trump. But chances are President “I alone can fix it” won’t follow his advice.