Democratic National Convention: Bill Clinton rips into Donald Trump

Former US president Bill Clinton spent most of his speech to the Democratic convention eviscerating Donald Trump over the coronavirus pandemic.

Former US president Bill Clinton eviscerated Donald Trump’s coronavirus response in a speech today, saying the President “ignored” expert advice he didn’t like, and told the American people the virus would “disappear”.

Mr Clinton was speaking at day two of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, where party leaders will formally nominate Joe Biden as the presidential candidate at the end of the four-day event.

The former president addressed the convention today, spending most of his speech taking aim at Mr Trump’s coronavirus response.

“How did Donald Trump respond? At first he said the virus was under control, and would soon disappear. When it didn’t, he was on TV every day bragging about what a great job he was doing,” Mr Clinton said.

“When he didn’t like the expert advice he was given, he ignored it. Only when COVID exploded in even more states did he encourage people to wear masks.

“By then, many more were dying. When asked about the surge in deaths, he shrugged and said, ‘It is what it is.’”

There’s that quote again. The Democrats have been keen to use Mr Trump’s own words against him.

RELATED: Follow live updates of the Democratic National Convention

Former president Bill Clinton speaking at the 2020 Democratic Nation Convention.

Democrat leaders have attacked Donald Trump for saying, ‘It is what it is,’ about the coronavirus death toll. Picture: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images/AFP

“But did it have to be this way? No. COVID hit us much harder than it had to,” Mr Clinton said.

“We have just 4 per cent of the world’s population, but 25 per cent of the world’s COVID cases. Our unemployment rate is more than twice as high as South Korea’s, 2.5 times the United Kingdom’s, more than three times Japan’s.

“At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command centre. Instead, it’s a storm centre. It’s only chaos.

“One thing never changes – his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.

“Now you have to decide whether to renew his contract, or hire someone else.”

Despite the irony of Bill Clinton talking about blame-shifting and the denial of responsibility, the former president took a few more potshots at Mr Trump before he wrapped up.

“If you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he’s your man,” Mr Clinton said.

“Denying, distracting and demeaning works great if you’re trying to entertain or inflame. But in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards.

“COVID just doesn’t respond to any of that. To beat it, you’ve got to actually go to work and deal with the facts.”

He said Joe Biden would be a “go to work president”.

RELATED: Photos show Epstein accuser massaging Bill Clinton

The DNC was delivered by video. Picture: Brian Snyder/AFP

Many commentators were baffled by the Democrats’ choice to include Clinton in the Convention, considering the battering his personal brand has taken since being associated with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

“Bill Clinton is just a huge unforced error. Totally unnecessary and a very bad look in 2020,” CNN anchor S.E. Cupp said following the speech.

Those from the far right were quick to note the former leader’s association with Epstein.

Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of far right publisher Breitbart News, wrote on Twitter: “Bill Clinton, who visited Pedo Island, representing the Democrats the same day pictures leaked of him being massaged by one of Epstein’s victims.”

Others just felt it was time for a change for the DNC.

“I wish #DNC2020 would have asked @MonicaLewinsky to speak instead of Bill Clinton. I’d rather listen to what she has to say,” one woman noted on Twitter.

Hours before Clinton spoke, the Daily Mail published photos of the former president, which appear to show him receiving a massage from alleged Epstein victim Chauntae Davies.

The photos showed Mr Clinton in a chair being massaged on the neck.

Ms Davies, who was 22 when the photos were taken, said she gave Mr Clinton the massage while they were on a humanitarian trip with Epstein to Africa. The trip also included Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker.

The massage therapist, who is releasing a memoir, said Mr Clinton was a “perfect gentleman” and she saw “no foul play”.