Trump Campaign: ‘America Is Under Attack’ by China and Joe Biden Is ‘Siding with the Chinese’

President Donald Trump’s re-election has made the extraordinary claim that the United States is currently being attacked by China and that former Vice President Joe Biden is siding with this supposed enemy. In a campaign email that quickly circulated on social media, the Trump team tried to paint the Covid-19 outbreak in militant terms.

The email was entitled: “In the midst of Coronavirus crisis, Joe Biden defends China and parrots Chinese propaganda.” Yet in the very next line, the email claims Biden has been ‘silent’ about China’s actions.

“America is under attack – not just by an invisible virus, but by the Chinese,” the email said.

Could this campaign letter be real? Sure looks it. Looks like this White House is using coronavirus to campaign, saying America is under attack from the Chinese and saying Biden is with China. Every American should know exactly what they are doing and vote for @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/A3pXmM3Dok

— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) March 19, 2020

While the Trump campaign made some accurate points about China’s behavior, including the charge that the country has spread disinformation about the disease, the email went on to make a gratuitous attack on Biden.

“What is Joe Biden up to as all this is happening? Siding with the Chinese and attacking the presidential candidate China fears most: Donald Trump.”

The campaign messaging, which is strongly reminiscent of red baiting tactics, quickly drew criticism, including from veteran conservatives opposed to Trump.

We have a second-rate Joe McCarthy as president in the midst of a genuine crisis. https://t.co/tDZTZcTAdQ

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 19, 2020

The Biden campaign has not yet responded but this is the latest evidence that Trump and his allies want to shift the conversation away from the administration’s initial failure to take the global pandemic seriously and instead focus on racially charged attacks on China, with criticism of the Democratic front runner into the bargain.