Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told "Fox News Sunday" that the U.S. "can't simply blame China as a way to get our country out of this pandemic and the recession and the chaos that's resulted from President Trump's failed response."
Why it matters: Coons was defending Joe Biden for not focusing on the rise of China and its abuses this past week during the Democratic National Convention, claiming that Biden has frequently addressed China on the campaign trail.
- The Trump administration in recent months has taken a very hawkish stance toward Beijing, which officials blame for covering up the coronavirus in the early days of the Wuhan outbreak.
- With the GOP convention kicking off on Monday, Republicans and the president will likely hammer Democrats over claims that Biden is not tough enough on China.
What he's saying: "I'll remind you, back in January and February as the pandemic was spreading around the world, it was Donald Trump who was saying positive things, cozying up to Xi Jinping, and it was Joe Biden who was sounding the alarm bells about this pandemic," Coons argued.
- "Donald Trump, our president, failed to act responsibly as this pandemic was beginning to impact Americans. Today, we have 5½ million infected Americans, 175,000 dead Americans because of the bungled federal response."
