Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Sunday accused President Donald Trump of “waving the white flag” on the coronavirus after White House chief of staff Mark Meadows suggested that it would be impossible to “control the pandemic.”
Meadows‘ comment came during a feisty exchange Sunday with host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union”, though the White House chief of staff noted the administration’s push to advance medical treatments and vaccines for the global virus.
“So, here’s what we have to do. We’re not going to control the pandemic,” Mark Meadows said. “We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas.”
Asked by Jake Tapper why aren’t we going to get control of the pandemic?, Meadows replied, “Because this is a contagious virus. Just like the flu, it’s contagious,” adding, “We are making efforts to contain it.”
The Biden campaign released a statement afterward, saying that Meadows had “stunningly admitted this morning that the administration has given up on even trying to control this pandemic.”
“This wasn’t a slip by Meadows, it was a candid acknowledgment of what President Trump’s strategy has been from the beginning of this crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away. It hasn’t, and it won’t,” Biden’s statement read in part. Continued Below
Before departing for a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Monday, a reporter told the Commander in Chief, “Joe Biden says you’ve waved the white flag on fighting the coronavirus”.
President Trump responded by turning the tables on Biden, saying “he’s waved a white flag on life”.
“No, no, he has. He’s waved a white flag on life. He doesn’t leave his basement,” Trump told the reporter. Video Below
The president’s remarks over Biden not leaving “his basement” come as Joe Biden has no campaign events scheduled on Monday, while President Trump, heading to Pennsylvania, has three separate scheduled rallies.
Absolutely spectacular response from Trump:
REPORTER: Joe Biden says you've waved the white flag on fighting the coronavirus…..
TRUMP: No, no, he has. He's waved a white flag on life. He doesn't leave his basement. pic.twitter.com/bqELNMSzTz
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 26, 2020
“No events for Joe Biden today???” Jason Miller, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, tweeted Monday. “He’s lid crazy!”
No events for Joe Biden today???
He’s lid crazy!
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) October 26, 2020
The president will kick off the day with remarks on the American workers at a rally in Allentown. From there, Trump will head to Lititz — population 9,369 — for his second rally of the day, which is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. EST. Trump will conclude the spree of rallies in Martinsburg, about two hours west of Harrisburg, Fox News reported.
The vice president will travel to Minnesota for a campaign rally in Hibbing, per Fox News.
Senator Kamala Harris has no scheduled campaign events on Monday. Harris is expected to be in Washington for a Senate vote on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.
(Related: President Trump Casts His Ballot In Florida, Tells Reporters, “I Voted For A Guy Named Trump”)
