Biden: Trump needs to step up Coronavirus response

Former Vice President Joe Biden stepped more directly into the ongoing political fight over the U.S. response to the Coronavirus on Monday, calling on the Trump Administration to do more to help doctors and nurses on the front lines of the outbreak, and pressing President Donald Trump to step up as well.

"Trump keeps saying he's a wartime President," Biden said in remarks from his home in Delaware. "Well, start acting like one."

Biden joined Democrats in chiding the President for repeatedly touting how he has invoked the Defense Production Act to get civilian companies to produced needed items to help the country, but has not actually used the law to do that.

"The President must use the Defense Production Act to radically increase the supply of goods needed to treat patients," Biden added, noting shortages of protective gowns, face shields, and more.

Since being pushed off the campaign trail by the Coronavirus outbreak almost two weeks ago, some Democrats have been pressing for Biden to become more engaged in the daily battles over the White House response.

In recent days, the messages on social media have increased from the Biden campaign, and Monday produced an even more concerted effort to get the candidate back into the news cycle, with his statement on the outbreak, and jabs at GOP leaders in Congress over an economic rescue package.

"President Trump and Mitch McConnell are trying to put corporate bailouts ahead of families," Biden said on Twitter.

"Hardworking, struggling Americans should come first — not the big corporations looking for a blank check," he added in a separate campaign video.

Biden's remarks came just a few minutes after one of his former rivals, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), announced that her husband had tested positive for the virus.

It was just three weeks ago today that Klobuchar gave up her campaign and flew to Texas to endorse Biden at a campaign rally - all of those type of events are now on hold because of the outbreak.

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