On Monday, Joe Biden said that President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis has stoked “hate” and “fear” and is “nakedly xenophobia” against Asian Americans.

The former vice president made these accusations during his virtual remarks to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Victory Fund. Biden said President Trump moved too slowly to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, alleging “denials, delays and distractions, many of which were nakedly xenophobic.”

Close

“The pandemic has unleashed familiar forces of hate, fear, and xenophobia that he always flames…that have always existed in this society,” Biden said. “But this president brought it with him, has brought with it a new rash of racial messages, verbal and physical attacks and other acts of hate, some subtle, some overt, against the Asian American and Pacific Islanders.”

Biden Flip-Flops on Trump’s China Travel Ban

President Trump ordered a travel ban from China in January to help keep the virus from spreading in the U.S. During a campaign speech in Iowa, Biden criticized the president’s action at the time, calling it “hysterical xenophobia.”

Yet by April, Team Biden had reversed course and now claims to favor the travel ban. “Joe Biden supports travel bans that are guided by medical experts, advocated by public health officials, and backed by a full strategy,” Biden’s Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfeld said. “Science supported this ban, therefore he did, too.”

Bedingfeld claimed Biden’s “xenophobia” accusations were only centered on President Trump labeling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” and not the travel ban. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is one among many scientific experts who praised Trump’s implementation of travel bans on China, believing the move “absolutely” helped prevent spreading the disease further.

Do you support Trump's travel ban?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

This piece originally appeared in ThePoliticalInsider.com and is used by permission.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette.