Associated Press reporter Alexandra Jaffe fact-checked former vice president Joe Biden Wednesday when the presumptive Democratic nominee said President Donald Trump's approval rating hasn't gone up during the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden said he knew that most Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the crisis, but that hadn't led to an increase in his overall job approval numbers.
"Gallup did show he is now at 49 percent job approval," Jaffe said. "Which is a reversal from a few weeks ago. So it’s just an interesting development, it does suggest that the American people see him as a stronger leader than you’ve been characterizing him."
Biden responded that he hopes Trump's job approval rating only improves.
"Well I hope that he’s so strong that he’s up way above that, because we need the help now," Biden said.
Biden said that there is a need for a quicker response in preparing for the spread of the virus. The former vice president has been a vocal critic of Trump's emergency response, even while saying he has no intention to criticize the president.