Distraction? Obama Smack-Talks Trump’s “Chaotic Disaster” Virus Response As Russia Hoax Exposed

Having refused to publicly criticize President Trump by name over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, President Obama reportedly slammed Trump during a private call, the details of which were “leaked” to the press (though we suspect the Obama camp had a hand in their dissemination), just days after his administration was exposed for colluding to entrap Flynn with a Russia collusion hoax to ouster President Trump.

Distraction, much?

Here’s more from Bloomberg:

Former President Barack Obama delivered a blistering attack on Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it “an absolute chaotic disaster” as well as “anemic.”

Obama’s remarks, first reported by Yahoo News, came in a leaked call as the former president exhorted members of his administration to rally behind presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The comments were perhaps the most scathing criticism Obama has yet delivered of his successor in the White House.

Critics have said the U.S. government wasted precious time in February by failing to ramp up testing and stockpile supplies as the coronavirus spread in Europe. The U.S. now leads the world in confirmed Covid-19 infections, with nearly 1.3 million as of Saturday. More than 78,000 have died in the U.S. from the virus.

However, Trump has defended his handling of the pandemic, repeatedly highlighting his Jan. 31 decision to impose travel restrictions barring most non-U.S. citizens from entering the U.S. after recent visits to China.

“President Trump’s coronavirus response has been unprecedented and saved American lives,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement on Saturday.

“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.”

Obama, in Friday’s remarks, cast the U.S. response to the virus as an outgrowth of tribalism as he sought to emphasize the urgency of the November election.

Those are some big words from a president whose strategy of appeasement toward China helped pave the way for President Trump’s historic electoral upset.

The Obama leak makes us wonder: Is this how Joe Biden’s campaign strategists are planning to proceed? just let everybody else speak for Biden, since when he tries to speak for himself…

Biden just doesn’t make sense anymore.

pic.twitter.com/xZYvDB5nVx

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) May 4, 2020

…often, it doesn’t work out so well.

His campaign has been mocked for holding a $50,000 “virtual dinner” with Hillary Clinton to try and raise money, as Biden scrambles to catch up with the Trump war chest. Unlike last cycle, President Trump is expected to far outspend his Democratic competitor, who has said he will only serve one term if elected, meaning that no matter what, 2024 is going to be a wide-open contest.

Polls should always be taken with a grain of salt, but a growing body of data is showing Trump with a slight edge over Biden in the swing states that will probably decide the election (the Wisconsins and the Michigans, where Trump’s margin of victory over Clinton was razor-thin).

WOW. According to this @civiqs/@dailykos poll, Biden has a lower favorability rating than Hillary Clinton did at this point in 2016. Her favorability dipped below Trump’s in the last week leading up the election. pic.twitter.com/kJZ1FvF7b5

— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) May 6, 2020

Which means Biden, despite being a relatively “likeable” white male grandfather figure, might actually do worse than Hillary Clinton, especially as yesterday’s jobs report showed these same swing states have been most badly battered by the lockdowns, and will almost certainly blame Democrats for any economic woes caused by the coming economic downturn.

And who can forget Biden’s glitch-plagued Zoom “virtual rally”. When the tech problems weren’t flaring up, a loud bird managed to drown Biden out, winning his campaign staff comparisons to ‘senior citizens trying to figure out how to use Zoom for the first time’. Though at least that’s a relatable feeling for many voters, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in Biden’s ability to run the country.