Biden Addresses a Visibility Question: 'How Do We Get More of You?'

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee against President Donald Trump in this year’s general election, was asked a question during a virtual fundraiser Sunday that reflected a challenge looming over his campaign as the coronavirus outbreak intensifies.

“What I’m concerned about is that we see Donald Trump every day with this crisis giving his press report,” said one donor, according to a pool report from the fundraiser, which was conducted by telephone. “And I would just love to see you more. Like, how do we get more of you and less of him on our airwaves?”

Biden has been taunted by online critics over his relatively low profile since the coronavirus forced him off the campaign trail, with Trump campaign officials and others needling him with the hashtag #WhereIsJoe. The former vice president has not made an appearance on camera in front of the public since he gave a brief livestreamed address from his home Tuesday, when primaries were held in Florida, Illinois and Arizona.

At Sunday’s fundraiser, Biden said that a recreation room in his home in Delaware had been turned into a television studio, and that he planned to give remarks Monday. On a conference call with reporters Friday, Biden said his campaign was working to increase his ability to speak to the public.

“I want to be in daily or at least, you know, significant contact with the American people and communicate what I would be doing, what I think we should be doing and how we should be doing it,” Biden said.

Biden’s campaign got off to a rocky start with its efforts at virtual campaigning, as a “virtual town hall” with Illinois voters this month was marred by technical problems.

At Sunday’s virtual fundraiser, Biden addressed speculation about whether Trump would try to postpone the general election because of the coronavirus. (The president does not have that authority.)

“The idea of postponing the electoral process is just, seems to me, out of the question,” Biden said. “I know there’s a lot of rumors and speculation as to, ‘Is the other guy going to try to postpone the election in November?’ and all that. There’s no need to do that.”

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