Biden, imperfectly, rips prez response

Joe Biden slammed President Trump on Monday for what he called an unacceptably slow and ineffective response to the coronavirus crisis — but stumbled over his words.

“Donald Trump is not to blame for the coronavirus, but he does bear responsibility for our response,” Biden (inset) said in an address from his home in Wilmington, Del.

The Democratic front-runner called on Trump to focus on unifying and leading the country instead of spouting untruths and lashing out at real and perceived enemies.

“I, along with every American, hope he steps up and starts to get this right,” Biden said. “This isn’t about politics. There are too many lives at stake.”

The 15-minute speech was not without hiccups.

Biden, who has battled a speech impediment for most of his life, appeared to stumble over his words more than once. His lone figure against the bare-bones backdrop of his living room cut a stark contrast to Trump’s telegenic daily White House press conferences.

At one point, Biden suddenly stopped speaking and appeared to wave to staff off-camera before restarting his speech.

Biden demanded Trump dramatically improve the federal government’s response to the pandemic. He insisted Trump start listening to medical experts instead of spouting happy talk about possible coronavirus cures and downplaying illness’ devastating impact.

Even as he appears to have all but wrapped up the Democratic nomination, Biden has faced calls to make himself more relevant to Americans amid the crisis. He says he will hold daily appearances from his self-imposed isolation in Delaware.

His progressive rival Sen. Bernie Sanders has been giving regular updates from his base in Vermont, even as some critics call for him to return to Washington as the Senate grapples with a controversial coronavirus spending package.