'He's on a COVID superspreader tour - he's like a carrier!' Obama tears into Trump's mass rallies as he pleads with Georgia voters to flip the Senate and elect Joe Biden
Barack Obama lashed out at Donald Trump Monday for continuing to hold massive campaign rallies, claiming the president is on a 'tour' spreading coronavirus around the country by defying several state lockdowns for his events.
While hitting the trail for his former vice president Joe Biden in Georgia just hours before Election Day, Obama focused on waging attacks against the president while urging voters there to flip their two Senate seats blue.
The former president likened Trump's schedule, which includes up to five rallies per day, as a 'COVID spreader tour.'
'What's Trump's closing argument right now? You know, last night, on his COVID spreader tour. He's going around spreading COVID,' Obama lamented.
'He's like a carrier. Because he cares more about having big crowds than he does about keeping people safe,' he added as supporters honked their car horns.
Obama went out to campaign for Biden at Georgia State University's Center Parc Credit Union Stadium for a drive-in rally – where supporters were invited to bring their cars to the stadium for a socially distanced event.
Former President Barack Obama went down to Georgia Monday to campaign for Joe Biden just hours before polling places open for Election Day Tuesday morning
Obama spent much of his remarks tearing into Donald Trump, claiming the president is on a 'COVID spreader tour' as he continues to hold mass rallies with no social distancing or face covering requirements
'You know, last night, on his COVID spreader tour. He's going around spreading COVID. He's like a carrier. Because he cares more about having big crowds than he does about keeping people safe,' Obama said
The drive-in rally promoted social distances. Guidelines to stay in or near cars, however, were not observed as attendees pushed their way to the barrier set up with several feet perimeter around Obama's stage
VOTE: Obama donned a black face mask before speaking that urged people to 'vote'
Trump is holding five rallies in four different states the day before the election. Here he speaks to thousands gathered for his rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina Monday
All attendees, however, did not remain socially distanced as they got out of their cars and pushed up to the front of the stage to try and get as close as permitted to the former president.
Trump has been traveling across several states per day as the countdown to Election Day ensues.
His rallies, which are held outdoors but not socially distanced, features several thousands attendees, without any requirements to wear a face covering despite health experts recommendations to do so.
The president also contracted coronavirus this fall after holding an outdoor Rose Garden event announcing Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee at the end of September after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death.
The 'superspreader' White House event, which it has come to be known as, also infected about a dozen others within Trump's inner circle. First lady Melania Trump and son Barron were among those who contracted coronavirus.
Obama urged during his rally Monday that Georgia voters kick out their two senators, both Republicans, from office during Tuesday's election.
Senator Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are both up for reelection.
'Let's face it – you've also got two senators who badly need to be replaced,' Obama said.
'It's like the dynamic duo of doing wrong. I don't know what they were thinking, but Georgia, I promise you, Georgia was definitely not on their mind. It was not,' he said, making reference to the Ray Charles song 'Georgia On My Mind'.
So far, nearly 375,000 Georgians have been diagnosed with the disease, and 7,792 people in the state have died from COVID-19.
The Peach State went red for Trump in 2016 by a margin of more than 5 per cent, but recent polling shows Biden marginally ahead in the southern state.
The 16 Electoral College votes in Georgia are up for grabs, as Cook Political Report rates the state as a 'toss-up.'
Obama also blasted Loeffler and Perdue for a scandal involving their stock shifting following a briefing that warned of the coronavirus pandemic before the knowledge became public.
'If President Trump and your senators had been focused on COVID from the beginning, instead of their portfolios – or their TV ratings – cases wouldn't be reaching new record highs across the country just this week,' Obama said.
Obama blasted the two GOP senators senators from Georgia, urging voters to get them out of office and help flip the Senate blue. 'If President Trump and your senators had been focused on COVID from the beginning... cases wouldn't be reaching new record highs across the country just this week'
Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue( right) came under fire for reorganizing their stock portfolios after hearing news of the COVID-19 pandemic in a classified briefing before the news went public
Both GOP Georgia senators have faced intense backlash and scrutiny for their stock transactions – especially leading up to news breaking of the pandemic.
Loeffler, who is married to the founder of the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange, Jeff Sprecher, sold off large quantities of stocks in the days and weeks after a senators-only briefing on COVID-19.
She later said no secret information was shared at that January 24 meeting – and revealed that her advisers independently handle her and her husband's stocks.
Those who make transactions on Perdue's behalf increased at the same time that the virus was spreading and markets became volatile.
His advisers also purchased stocks that stood to fare well during the pandemic, such as investing in companies that make personal protective equipment.