Former Vice President, and Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's visit to Arizona is "reckless and irresponsible."
The president's visit comes on the same day that Arizona health officials reported a record daily increase of reported coronavirus cases.The data was released shortly after President Trump departed the White House for his planned visits to Yuma and Phoenix.
"Mr. President, this disease is rearing its head in Arizona again and families are hurting," Biden said in his statement.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego shared similar concerns, saying she didn't think a rally could be held safely in Arizona at this time. She also urged President Trump to "set an example" and wear a mask.
Trump is expected to speak with officials and tour the border wall in Yuma. He will then travel to Phoenix where he will speak at a "Students for Trump" event at Dream City Church.
Read the full statement from Biden below:
Arizona has now passed 50,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, more than 1,300 Arizonans have died as a result of the disease, and positive cases and related hospitalizations continue to surge. Yet once again, instead of doing the hard work needed to solve the public health and economic crises facing America, Donald Trump remains focused on his expensive, ineffective, and wasteful “wall” on our Southern Border. Furthermore, his decision to hold a rally in Arizona as the state deals with a severe COVID-19 resurgence is reckless and irresponsible.
Make no mistake: this visit is a distraction. It’s a distraction from Donald Trump’s failed response to combat the spread of COVID-19. It’s a distraction from his failure to get Americans — including many in Arizona — the testing we need. It’s a distraction from his inability to offer a concrete, effective reopening plan that’s rooted in science and public health. It’s a distraction from his corrupt recovery that failed to get small businesses and working families the resources they needed to weather this pandemic. Mr. President, this disease is rearing its head in Arizona again and families are hurting. Arizonans deserve a President who will rise to the moment amid the challenges we face today.
