May 9, 2020 | 2:40pm | Updated May 9, 2020 | 3:27pm
Donald Trump and Barack Obama meet in the Oval Office after the 2016 presidential election.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Barack Obama ripped President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis as an “absolute chaotic disaster.”
The former president told supporters in a leaked video chat, “What we’re fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy — that has become a stronger impulse in American life.”
Audio of the Friday call with alumni from his administration was first obtained by Yahoo News.
“It would have been bad even with the best of governments,” Obama continued, referring to coronavirus.
“That’s why, I, by the way, am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden.”
So far the United States has reported more than 1.3 million COVID-19 infections, with almost 79,000 deaths, making it the hardest-hit country in the world.
The remarks were some of Obama’s harshest regarding his successor in the Oval Office. Since leaving Washington, the Dem has largely steered clear of firing direct hits at Trump — something that is expected to change.
Insiders told The Post last month that Obama was champing at the bit to jump into the 2020 fray on behalf of Joe Biden and would become far more critical of the president in the coming months.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany struck back hard, hitting Democrats over the Russia probe and citing positive reviews the Trump administration had received from across the aisle.
“President Trump’s coronavirus response has been unprecedented and saved American lives. While Democrats were pursuing a sham witch hunt against President Trump, President Trump was shutting down travel from China,” she told The Post. “As Governor Cuomo said, President Trump’s response has been ‘phenomenal.’ There has been a bipartisan recognition of President Trump’s leadership.”
