Biden Says He Would Shut Country Down To Combat Coronavirus If Scientist Said Move Was Necessary

August 22, 2020August 23, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden said he would “shut it down” the country to stop the spread of the coronavirus if scientific recommended such a move was necessary.

“I would shut it down, I would listen to the scientists,” Biden said in response.

In an exclusive preview clip of the first joint interview of Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris from ABC ‘World News Tonight,’ host David Muir asked the Democratic nominee if he would “shut this country down again?”

“You sworn in come January and we have coronavirus and the flu combining which many scientists said its a real possibility, would you be prepared to shut this country down again?” Muir asked Biden.

“I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus,” Biden said.

Biden continued his criticism of the Trump administration response to the coronavirus, calling it a “fundamental flaw” in regards to forcing the nation to open its economy when the virus wasn’t under control.

“That is the fundamental flaw of this administration’s thinking, to begin with,” Biden said. “In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus.”

During his Democratic acceptance convention speech on Thursday, Biden said if elected tackling the virus would be his first task.

“As President, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that’s ruined so many lives,” Biden said Thursday night. “Because I understand something this president doesn’t. We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to schools, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus.”

Under Federal law, the president is allowed to impose quarantines in some circumstances and limit travel between states. The Trump administration never invoked such powers amid the pandemic, leaving the decisions up to the individual states to decide such a decision and for how long.