Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday that the first step to solving the coronavirus epidemic is to silence President Trump, who he said is undermining the doctors trying to give good advice.
“Shut this president up right now,” Mr. Sanders said as he kicked off a two-man debate with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden in the Democratic presidential contest.
Mr. Biden also blamed Mr. Trump for a slow response, saying he should have accepted the World Health Organization’s offer of testing kits, instead of waiting for the U.S. to develop its own.
The two men were debating at the CNN studios in Washington set far apart from each other on stage and from the moderators, as if to underscore the social distancing recommendations from doctors.
Mr. Biden said the solution to the virus is to set up drive-through coronavirus testing and task the military with standing up emergency hospitals to prepare for a health emergency.
Mr. Sanders said the virus is the latest proof that his Medicare for All health plan is needed, saying a guarantee that nobody would have to pay for anything related to the virus would be reassuring.
Mr. Biden countered that a single-payer system isn’t working in Italy, though he said when it comes to the virus Americans shouldn’t have to pay for any coronavirus care — effectively calling for a limited Medicare for All.
“The national criss says we’re responding. It’s all free. You don’t have to pay for a thing,” Mr. Biden said. “We’re at war with the virus.”
Mr. Sanders said 30,000 people in the U.S. died last year because they couldn’t afford treatment.
“I think that’s a crisis,” he said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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