Biden Slams Trump Over Hack, Coronavirus Response

PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE Biden on Tuesday sought to draw sharp contrasts with outgoing President Donald Trump, detailing how his incoming administration plans to respond to the raging pandemic and a massive cybersecurity breach of U.S. agencies and businesses.

In what are expected to be his last remarks before Christmas, Biden laid out the challenges that his administration will face next year, urging the need for further bipartisanship to overcome them. And when it came to the recent wide-ranging hack on U.S. entities including the Treasury and Commerce Departments, he placed the blame squarely on Trump and lashed out at how his predecessor "failed to prioritize" cybersecurity over the past four years.

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"The truth is that the Trump administration failed to prioritize cybersecurity – from eliminating and or downgrading cyber coordinators at both the White House and the State Department, to firing his director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, to President Trump's irrational downplaying of the seriousness of this attack," Biden said from Wilmington, Delaware.

"The assault happened on Donald Trump's watch when he wasn't watching," he continued. "It is still his responsibility as president to defend American interests for the next four weeks, but rest assured that even if he does not take this seriously, I will."

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Biden pointed to comments from Trump appointees Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Bill Barr who have indicated that Russia is likely responsible for the hack. The president-elect agreed that it "certainly fits Russia's long history of reckless and disruptive cyber activities" and called on Trump to officially identify who is responsible for the breach. Russia has denied any involvement.

But Trump has been unwilling to pin the blame on Russia and has downplayed the breach, tweeting that it is "far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality." He asserted that the situation is "under control" and floated the possibility of China's involvement before veering into disputed claims about the November election. No other official has linked China to the breach.

Biden outlined how he will assemble a team that'll bolster the country's cybersecurity capabilities and be prepared to confront potential threats from abroad.

"Cyber threats are among the greatest threats to our global security in the 21st Century," Biden said. "We must work with our allies to establish clear international rules and mechanisms to enforce them and consequences for those that violate them."

Biden, who received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, opened with his praise for health care workers and others who worked on development, distribution and participation in trials. He reiterated his plan to combat the pandemic after he takes office on Jan. 20 – a mask mandate that's expected to last for 100 days and billions more in funding to improve testing and vaccine operations as well as measures to blunt the economic fallout.

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Biden applauded Congress for "doing its job" late Monday and passing $900 billion in coronavirus relief, which includes $600 stimulus checks, enhanced federal unemployment benefits, small business and rental assistance, among other things. And he renewed his call for lawmakers to once again pass additional aid early next year.

As Trump gets ready to leave office in the coming weeks, Biden has used public appearances to draw a distinction with the outgoing president, especially at a time when the country is facing a coronavirus surge with a record-setting number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations.

Biden, who's started to take more questions of late, spent 20 minutes answering reporters' wide-ranging questions.

The president-elect was pressed on why he has yet to name a nominee for attorney general, but he rebuffed questions about whether he was waiting to see what the outcome is in the Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia. The two Senate races will determine which party controls the majority – and whether Biden's nominees will face more challenging confirmation hearings.

In response to a question about his son Hunter Biden's federal investigation, he said there's been no discussion about the matter with any potential nominees. And the president-elect reasserted that his pick to lead the Justice Department will remain independent and not act as a lawyer for the president. Biden said he'll make additional personnel announcements some time between Christmas and New Years.

As speculation swirls about whether he'll only serve one term, one reporter asked if Biden, who will be the oldest person to serve as president, will file quickly for reelection when taking office. He wouldn't comment on his future plans but followed up that he won't be a "lame duck" over the next four years.

"I'm not going to be a lame duck. Just watch me. Just watch me," Biden said, with a laugh. "From this point on, for the next several years, there is one objective and it's not my political future, it's bettering the circumstances for the average American."

Lisa Hagen, Reporter

Lisa Hagen is a politics reporter for U.S. News & World Report covering Congress, the 2020 ... READ MORE

Tags: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, coronavirus, cybersecurity
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