Joe Biden Says Donald Trump ‘Hasn’t Done What’s Rational To Do’

Joe Biden said Thursday that Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic shows that the president “hasn’t done what’s rational to do.”

Appearing via video chat on a home version of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the former vice president, who’s the Democratic front-runner to oppose Trump in November, ripped the president for his slow response to COVID-19. The United States now leads the world in cases, with New York City the epicenter.

“The coronavirus is not his fault,” Biden said. “But the lack of alacrity and the speed with which he responded to these things I think could be improved considerably.”

Kimmel asked Biden why the president won’t get businesses to make masks and other critical equipment in short supply. Trump has refused to use the Defense Production Act to force industry to produce certain goods during a time of emergency.

“He has that power,” Biden said. “He said he was going to be a wartime commander in chief during this period, but he hasn’t done what is rational to do.”

Shifting to the presidential race, Biden said he would narrow down his choices to five to seven women to be his vice presidential running mate. In a lighter moment, Kimmel asked him if he would consider Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor who was John McCain’s veep running mate against Barack Obama and Biden in the 2008 election.

“I asked her,” Biden joked. “She doesn’t want to be.”