Obama criticizes Trump's handling of Covid-19 pandemic as 'absolute chaotic disaster'
(Baonghean.vn) - Former US President Barack Obama recently criticized the way current President Donald Trump handled the Covid-19 pandemic caused by the new strain of Corona virus, calling it an "absolute chaotic disaster".
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| Mr. Trump, after his election, with Mr. Obama in the Oval Office, Washington DC in November 2016. Photo: AFP |
In a leaked online call on the evening of May 8 with former members of his administration, Mr. Obama also said that the US Justice Department's decision to drop charges against Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who admitted to lying to the FBI in an investigation related to Russia, harmed the rule of law in the US.
In the audio, first obtained by Yahoo News, Mr. Obama urged his former subordinates to join forces to support candidate Joe Biden as he prepares to face Mr. Trump in the presidential election this November.
The United States is now the world leader in coronavirus cases, with nearly 1.3 million positive cases and more than 77,000 deaths.
Mr Trump has been criticised for essentially abdicating any leadership role in guiding the country through one of the worst crises in a century, leaving states to grapple with the pandemic on their own and even bidding warily to obtain essential medical equipment on the open market or abroad.
Critics say Mr. Trump, after initially downplaying the threat from Covid-19, wasted valuable time in February as the disease spread in the United States and his administration did little to stockpile test kits and other medical equipment or develop a cohesive national strategy.
In his bid for re-election, President Trump has also been criticized for putting personal political interests ahead of people's lives by strongly urging states to reopen their devastated economies without a clear plan on how to ensure safety.
