CLEVELAND, Ohio — President Trump defended his push to reopen the country amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic at Tuesday’s first presidential debate, claiming opponent Joe Biden would destroy America by keeping it shuttered.
“He will destroy this country. You know a lot of people, between drugs and alcohol and depression, when you start shutting it down,” the president said of an unprecedented shuttering of the economy due to the pandemic.
“They’re hurting people by keeping them closed, they’re hurting people,” he continued during their face-to-face showdown.
“It’s like being in prison, look at what’s going on with divorce, look at what’s going on with alcoholism and drugs. It’s a very, very sad thing,” the commander in chief went on.
Biden accused Trump of throwing the American people under the bus and said he was risking US lives by pushing for Americans to return to work.
“He has no intention of doing anything about making it better for all of you at home, in terms of your health and your safety and schools,” Biden responded.
Trump has promised a “V-shaped recovery” of the economy but Biden accused his opponent of having no plan.
