COVID-19: Obama Says Trump's Management Is "Chaotic Disaster"
Former President Barack Obama used a scathing attack on Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it "an absolute chaotic mess".
In an Internet leak on Friday night with former members of his administration, Obama also modified the Justice Department's decision to drop the charges against Michael Flynn, the former Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of the study on Russia, jeopardizing the rule of law in the United States.
In the audio, unknown to Yahoo News, Obama urges former staff members to join him in joining Joe Biden as he is ready to take on Trump during the November presidential election.
The United States is by far the world leader in the number of coronavirus infections, with nearly 1.3 million, and deaths, with more than 77,000.
Trump has been criticized for essentially abdicating any leadership role to lead the country through a crisis of its worst in a century, leaving states alone to fight the pandemic and even bid for free essential medical supplies abroad.
Critics say Trump, after downplaying the threat posed by the virus, wasted precious time in February when the pathogen spread to the United States and his administration did little to acquire test kits and other medical equipment or to develop a consistent national tactic.
In light of his re-election, the President was also accused of putting his own political interests before human life by aggressively pressuring states to reopen their devastated politicians without a clear plan on how to do it safely.
"What we are fighting against is against these long-term trends in being selfish, tribal, divided, and seeing others as enemies, has become a stronger impetus in American life", Obama told his former members of the personal.
"This is part of the reason why the response to this international crisis has been so anemic and uneven", Obama said. "It would have been bad even with the best governments. It was an absolute and chaotic mess when this state of mind -" what's in it for me" and "bother everyone "- when this state of mind is operating in our government" he said.
Obama said dropping the charges against Flynn did not bode well. "This is the kind of thing where you start to worry about the basics, not just the institutional complexes, but our basic understanding of the rule of law is at risk".
Obama obtained Biden's candidacy last month and said he was deeply involved in his campaign against Trump. He told the Obama Alumni Association: "I hope everyone has the same sense of urgency as I do".