Trump campaign attacks Biden for not getting COVID like Trump

Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is desperately trying to put a positive spin on the news after Trump tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Erin Perrine, the Trump campaign’s communications director, argued that Trump’s “firsthand experience” with the virus will give him an edge over Joe Biden in the presidential election.

“He has experience now, of fighting the coronavirus as an individual,” Perrine said. “Those firsthand experiences, Joe Biden, he doesn’t have those.”

Trump became infected with the virus after he repeatedly ignored safety recommendations from health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump has mocked his political opponents for wearing masks, and has not practiced social distancing at many of his events.

After testing positive for the virus, Trump was taken to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday, roughly one month before the presidential election.

Biden, for his part, has long supported the CDC’s health and safety guidelines during the pandemic, wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing at his events. At last Tuesday’s presidential debate, Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask and social distancing.

“I don’t wear a mask like him,” Trump said while gesturing across the stage to Biden. “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”

Perrine also criticized Biden for purportedly being “more worried about China than he has been about the United States.” But it is Republicans who have been blaming China to deflect criticism over Trump’s lackluster virus response for months.

Trump has repeatedly referred to the coronavirus with the racist term “China virus,” even as hate crimes against Asian-Americans have been connected to such rhetoric.

From the Oct. 5 edition of Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom”:

SANDRA SMITH, Fox News: Is that something we should expect, with the best-case scenario? The president leaves the hospital today, gets back out on the campaign trail, will we see changed messaging when it comes to the coronavirus and will it move more to a forefront of the president’s messagings and key issues?

 

ERIN PERRINE: Well, firsthand experience is always going to change how someone relates to something that’s been happening. The president has coronavirus right now, he is battling it head-on as toughly, as only President Trump can, and listen, of course that’s going to change the way that he – the way that he speaks of it, because it’ll be a firsthand experience.

 

But, you know, that experience, that experience of not only coronavirus but being president of the United States, that’s why you just see a different tone overall from him.

SMITH: But it’s been law and order, it’s –

 

[CROSSTALK]

 

SMITH: Sorry, I’m running out of time. It’s been law and order and it’s been the economy, does this become a key issue for your campaign.

 

PERRINE: And he’s talked about coronavirus as well, he’s talked about it all. And listen, he has experience as commander-in-chief, he has experience as a businessman, he has experience now, of fighting the coronavirus as an individual.

 

Those firsthand experiences, Joe Biden, he doesn’t have those. He doesn’t know what it’s like to create a job, other than Hunter’s. Joe Biden doesn’t know what it’s like to have to stand up and serve as commander-in-chief of this country.

 

Joe Biden’s been more worried about China than he has been about the United States. Those firsthand experiences are what are going to get President Trump four more years. So of course he talks about it differently now that he has lived through it.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.