Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday told Cheddar that he is officially endorsing former vice president Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for the presidency.
The endorsement came amid a wide-ranging critique of Trump's coronavirus response, which he said has cost tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths.
"The administration's response has been an abysmal failure, and I wish that wasn't the case," Murphy said. "I don't root for the president to ever fail, because it's my constituents who suffer."
The senator spoke out against the administration's response as early as February 5, when Trump held a private briefing for Congress members that he said downplayed the virus.
"They were just living in a fantasy world, and I left that briefing incredibly disturbed," the senator elaborated.
At that point, Trump announced a travel ban with China but stopped short of investing in additional medical supplies or implementing mass testing.
"We did not have to be in a position today where tens of thousands of Americans are dying," Murphy said. "Had this administration gotten serious at the very beginning about the potential of this virus to become a pandemic, we could have prevented it."
The two months since haven't given Murphy much confidence in Trump, who he said continues to treat the outbreak "as a public relations issue to manage, not as a health crisis."
"Since then it hasn't gotten any better," he said. "The president still refuses to take control of the manufacture of critical medical supplies. He's looking for scapegoats like China and the WHO. He's standing in the way of Congress's attempt to get money down to states and hospitals."
On the possibility of additional stimulus, Murphy said, "We need a fourth package to increase the economic assistance. We need to put more money into the small business program, for instance, but we really need more money for states and hospitals and health districts. We really need to dramatically expand the number of tests that are being produced."
The next bill needs to require the president to take control of the manufacture and supply of needed medical equipment, he added.
While a Biden endorsement might be a foregone conclusion for most Democrats in the legislature, Murphy made it official on Cheddar and emphasized the need for new leadership.
"This is a moment where America needs a steady hand, a steady hand that is putting the people of this country first," he said.
