For Trump, US Presidency Means "Watching TV, Zapping People On Social Media": Bill Clinton

Former US President Bill Clinton has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump, saying the Oval Office under him is a chaotic "storm centre" instead of being a "command centre" and for him the presidency is about spending hours a day watching TV and "zapping" people on social media and not taking responsibility for his actions.

"Donald Trump says we're leading the world. Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple," Bill Clinton said in his address to the 2nd day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention that formally nominated former vice president Joe Biden as the party''s presidential candidate.

Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris will be Joe Biden's running mate.

Mr Clinton said a presidential election is the world's most important job interview and this year the election is a "tall order" given that the COVID-19 outbreak has killed over 170,00 people and destroyed millions of jobs and small businesses.

"At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command centre. Instead, it's a storm centre. There''s only chaos. Just one thing never changes - his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there," Mr Clinton said.

Slamming Donald Trump's response to dealing with the pandemic, Bill Clinton said at first the US President said the virus was under control and would soon disappear.

"When it didn't, he was on TV every day bragging on what a great job he was doing, while scientists waited to give us vital information. When he didn''t like the expert advice he was given, he ignored it."

Lamenting that COVID-19 hit Americans much harder than it had to, Bill Clinton, 74, said only when coronavirus exploded in even more states did Donald Trump encourage people to wear masks.

"By then many more were dying. When asked about the surge in deaths, he shrugged and said, ''It is what it is''. But did it have to be this way?"

Bill Clinton said as Americans head into the election, they have to decide whether to renew Trump''s contract or hire someone else.

"If you want a President who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he's your man. Denying, distracting, and demeaning works great if you're trying to entertain and inflame. But in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards."

"You know what Donald Trump will do with four more years: blame, bully, and belittle. And you know what Joe Biden will do: build back better," the two-time former President said.

Voicing his support for Joe Biden to be next US President, Bill Clinton said the Democratic party is united in offering Americans a very different choice: "a go-to-work president. A down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy. A man with a mission: to take responsibility, not shift the blame; concentrate, not distract; unite, not divide."

"It's Donald Trump's 'Us vs. Them'' America against Joe Biden's America, where we all live and work together. It's a clear choice. And the future of our country is riding on it," Bill Clinton said.

Bill Clinton said Joe Biden is committed to building America back again and has given smart detailed plans to invest in areas vital to America's future: innovative financing for factories and small businesses; good jobs in green energy and conservation to combat climate change.

Mr Biden has also plans for a modern infrastructure that brings small town and rural America the connectivity and investment others take for granted; and a plan to ensure that Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, women, immigrants, and other communities left behind are full participants in the economy and our society, he said.

Asserting that Joe Biden "must be our next President," former President Jimmy Carter said Mr Biden has the "experience, character, and decency to bring us together and restore America's greatness. We deserve a person with integrity and judgment, someone who is honest and fair, someone who is committed to what is best for the American people."

Mr Carter added that during these uncertain times, Joe Biden realises that many American lives can be saved each day with the use of masks and testing, as recommended by our medical experts.

Joe Biden "is that kind of leader, and he is the right person for this moment in our nation's history. He understands that honesty and dignity are essential traits that determine not only our vision but our actions. More than ever, that''s what we need."
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)