Fox News anchor Bret Baier pressed campaign national press secretary TJ Ducklo on what Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would have done differently in the early response to COVID-19.
Biden has consistently criticized President Donald Trump after journalist Bob Woodward revealed that the president purposefully downplayed the emerging threat of the virus early this year.
Baier began his interview with Ducklo on Thursday afternoon’s “Special Report” by asking what Biden “specifically would have done at the end of January had he received the briefing that we know now the president received January 28th.”
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Ducklo criticized Trump for having “knowingly and willfully lied about the dangerousness of the threat that faced this country,” arguing that had he “taken action just few weeks earlier, we would have had tens of thousands of lives that would have been saved.”
Baier responded with video of two “top advisors” to Biden, Ron Klain and Zeke Emanuel, who both similarly downplayed the virus at the end of January.
“And it goes on,” Baier said. “I mean they continue to make comments that masks are not necessary, that this is overreaction. It goes into February and early March. So understanding that those are the people he listens to and Joe Biden has said that he wouldn’t have closed the travel from China, what specifically would the former vice president have done?”
Ducklo insisted that Biden “was not against the travel ban,” leading to some more back and forth and questions from the Fox News anchor.
“Let me just clarify, you’re saying that Joe Biden was for closing down travel from China when the president did it?” Baier asked.
“Joe Biden has been clear that he was not against that travel ban,” Ducklo responded.
“But he was for it?” Baier pressed.
“Joe Biden has been clear about this, Bret,” said Ducklo. “Again, I can send you the fact checks if they’re helpful. This has been fact checked into oblivion.” (RELATED: ‘Reason For Optimism’: Surgeon Tells Tucker Why He Believes There Won’t Be A Coronavirus Second Wave In The Fall)
After some more back and forth in which Ducklo declined to answer specifically whether Biden was for the ban, Baier said: “I’m going to take it you’re not going to answer that question. You’re going to send me fact checks.”