Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Sharpens Criticism With Trump Now Back Home At White House
The New York Times: In Florida, Biden Says ‘I Wasn’t Surprised’ By Trump’s Diagnosis
As President Trump battled the coronavirus on Monday, Joseph R. Biden Jr. ventured onto the campaign trail, where he wished the president a speedy recovery but criticized his leadership, suggesting that he bore some responsibility for his positive test after flouting public health guidelines around masks and social distancing. ... “Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying masks don’t matter, social distancing doesn’t matter, I think is responsible for what happens to them,” Mr. Biden said at the town hall, asked whether Mr. Trump shouldered some responsibility for contracting the virus. (Glueck, 10/5)
The Washington Post: With Trump Out Of The Hospital, Biden Steps Up Criticism
Joe Biden stepped up his criticism of President Trump on Monday, challenging his calls not to fear the deadly coronavirus and admonishing him to regulate the use of face masks, as Trump returned to the White House after being hospitalized for covid-19. ... “I was glad to see the president speaking in recorded videos over the weekend,” Biden said in a speech Monday afternoon in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. “I would ask him to do this: Listen to the scientists! Support masks! Support a mask mandate nationwide. Require a mask in every federal building, facility in their state. Urge every governor in America to do the same. We know it saves lives.” (Sullivan and Wang, 10/5)
The Guardian: 'Masks Matter': Joe Biden Reminds Trump That Face Covering Is There To Protect Others
Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, has said he was not surprised by Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection and delivered a blunt rebuke: “Masks matter.” Speaking at an NBC television town hall event in Miami, Florida, the former vice president drew a stark contrast with Trump, who on returning to the White House just an hour earlier instantly removed his face mask for a photo op. (Smith, 10/5)
The Wall Street Journal: Biden, Trump Swap Roles After President’s Coronavirus Diagnosis
Joe Biden, after facing months of criticism from President Trump for sticking close to his Delaware home, is now traveling around the country. Mr. Trump, who held campaign rallies throughout the summer, is sick with the coronavirus and off the trail. The sudden candidate role reversal has thrust the already turbulent campaign into a new stage less than 30 days before Election Day. Mr. Trump, trailing in the polls with more than 3 million early votes cast, according to data compiled by the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida, faces new challenges in closing the gap with the Democratic presidential nominee. Mr. Biden has the battleground states mostly to himself for in-person campaigning now. (Lucey and Thomas, 10/5)
