Former President Barack Obama said Thursday the government should not reopen until it can create a robust testing and surveillance system to stop a second coronavirus outbreak.
Obama made the comment on Twitter, attaching a New York Times story featuring four medical experts saying nationwide testing and surveillance would help when reopening the economy. Trump chimed in soon after with a tweet that could be described as insensitive.
“Once we OPEN UP OUR GREAT COUNTRY, and it will be sooner rather than later, the horror of the Invisible Enemy, except for those that sadly lost a family member or friend, must be quickly forgotten. Our Economy will BOOM, perhaps like never before!!!”
Now that Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee, many are wondering how when Obama will officially endorse Biden and how he will campaign for him in the coming months up to the election. Obama has largely stayed away from politics during Trump’s four years in office but has recently begun to make his voice heard.
Last week Obama compared Trump’s coronavirus response to climate change deniers.
“We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic,” Obama wrote on Twitter. “We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall.”
Additionally, Obama endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren’s coronavirus response proposals to help the economy and individuals that have lost jobs, benefits and money due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“As she often does, @SenWarren provides a cogent summary of how federal policymakers should be thinking about the pandemic in the coming months,” Obama wrote in a tweet, linking to a Vox interview in which the Massachusetts Democrat discussed her multiple plans to address the global pandemic and its economic fallout.
A poll released Wednesday shows the majority of Americans prefer Barack Obama handle the coronavirus outbreak rather than Trump.