Daily US Times: President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has met bold criticism from his predecessor Barack Obama.
The former President described the US handling of the pandemic “an absolute chaotic disaster”.
CNN reports that Mr Obama made this comment in a private call while encouraging former staff to work for Joe Biden’s presidential election team.
In response, the White House said that President Trump’s “unprecedented” action had “saved Americans’ lives”.
During the call, Mr Obama said his Donald Trump’s approach to government was partly to blame for the US response to coronavirus.
He said: “It would have been bad even with the best of government. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’, when that mindset is operationalised in our government.”
The former president also strongly criticised the decision to drop criminal charges against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
What is the situation in the US?
In the US, more that 77,000 people have died and 1.2m confirmed cases, far more than anywhere in the world. Many states introduced lockdown measures in March in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus, but have now lifted restrictions, allowing people to return to work.
But health officials warn that easing lockdown may lead the virus to spread further.
Mr Trump’s approach to the pandemic has oscillated. He dismissed the threat in February, saying it would disappear, but by mid-March he acknowledged its severity.
In April he suggested an awkward idea that ingesting disinfectant could be a preventative – something experts immediately rejected and he had to face a lot of criticism.
Mr Trump announced last week that he would close down his government’s coronavirus task force, but later said it would continue – but focusing on reopening the economy.
Meanwhile, according to Johns Hopkins University, there are now 4.02 million confirmed cases around the world, as cases rise rapidly in Russia and Brazil. The global death toll now at least 279,329.
The virus cases is escalating in Brazil, where death toll passed 10,000. The country reported 156,061 confirmed cases, the eighth highest in the world.
The epicenter of the virus, Wuhan, a central Chinese city, has confirmed its first symptomatic infection since April 4, according to the Wuhan Health Commission. The patient is in a critical condition. It comes as a top Chinese health official acknowledged that the outbreak had revealed weaknesses in the country’s public health system.
You may read: US Vice-President Mike Pence’s aide tested positive for coronavirus