Joe Biden slams Donald Trump's AG Bill Barr as 'sick' for comparing lockdowns to slavery as he says he would mandate masks on federal land and levy FINES to set example for nation
Democratic nominee Joe Biden went after Attorney General Bill Barr for saying that coronavirus lockdown orders were the 'greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history' since slavery.
'Quite frankly they're sick,' Biden remarked of Barr's comments at a Thursday night CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper.
Biden said he was in disbelief that Barr would almost equate 'following the recommendations of the scientific community' to save lives during the coronavirus crisis to 'people being put in chains.'
'You lost your freedom because he didn't act,' Biden said - that comment likely intended for his political rival, President Donald Trump.
The former vice president said he consider fining people on federal property - which is in the president's jurisdiction - for not wearing masks, after having already called for a nationwide mask mandate, which he'd have to implement by putting pressure on governors.
'If you’re on federal property you must wear a mask,' he said.
The town hall featured a number of people who experienced loss - a Republican nurse whose police officer husband died from cancer contracted after cleaning up Ground Zero post-9/11, an immunocompromised teacher whose wive lost her best friend to COVID-19.
The event opened with a woman who lost her mother to the coronavirus.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden went after President Donald Trump's Attorney General Bill Barr who said hat coronavirus lockdown orders were the 'greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history' since slavery
A look at the drive-in movie theater set-up CNN constructed for Joe Biden's Scranton-area town hall event
Joe Biden supporters celebrate the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention last month in a parking lot outside the Chase Center in Wilmington that was set up like a drive-in movie theater
Supporters in the parking lot were able to see (from left) Jill and Joe Biden, as well as Douglas Emhoff and Kamala Harris, watch fireworks at the conclusion of Biden's speech accepting the Democratic nomination
CNN created a drive-in movie theater set-up inside a ball park for the event.
'Who knew drive-ins were coming back?' Cooper remarked as the event opened.
Biden's audience consisted of 35 cars with about 100 people gathered, keeping in line with Pennsylania's coronavirus regulations.
The ball park is where the aptly named Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders play.
The old school drive-in has become a stand-in - at least on the Democratic side - for campaign rallies, as Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have preached caution about supporters attending gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Democratic Party set up a drive-in in a parking lot outside the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware on the final night of the Democratic National Convention so there would be an audience to cheer Biden and Harris as they emerged together as the official presidential ticket to watch fireworks.
Supporters watched the virtual convention on large screens and then cheered and honked their horns when Biden and Harris briefly appeared.
Additionally, in cities around the country, watch parties were set up drive-in style so Democratic supporters could watch Biden's nominating speech together.
The town hall brings Biden - who was born in Scranton before moving to Wilmington - to the key swing state two days after President Donald Trump made the trek to Philadelphia for his own town hall with Pennsylvania voters.
Trump's town hall was produced by ABC News and was filmed indoors at the National Constitution Center, where the only audience was the likely voters questioning the president.
Joe Biden's town hall comes two days after President Donald Trump participated in a Philadelphia town hall, filmed indoors at the National Constitution Center, with only people posing questions as audience members. They wore masks and sat six feet apart
They all sat six feet apart and wore masks, until they posed their questions to Trump.
The president has been more cavalier about his campaigning amid a continued spread of the coronavirus.
Last weekend he held his first indoor rally since June in the state of Nevada.
He's packed thousands into airport hangars as well.
The campaign has encouraged mask-wearing of attendees, but droves have rebelled.
At a recent rally in New Hampshire, Trump supporters booed when a voice over the loudspeaker encouraged them to wear masks.
The president told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he wasn't personally worried about contracting the coronavirus at these events.
'I'm on a stage and it's very far away,' he told the paper. 'And so I'm not at all concerned.'