Biden responds to jobs report, appeals to working class, says 'economic pain remains unrelenting'

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Friday said the country's August jobs report shows "the economic pain remains unrelenting for millions of working people of every race and background," despite more jobs added and the lower-than-anticipated unemployment rate.

In a campaign speech in Wilmington, Del., Biden repeatedly suggested that Trump has surrounded himself with so much wealth and wealth friends that he's inured to the economic hardships of tens-of-millions of Americans caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"He thinks if the stock market it up, he's doing fine," said the former vice president. "It's no wonder he doesn't see nearly 30 million Americans on unemployment. When the crisis started, we all hoped for a few months of a shutdown that would be followed by rapid economic turnaround. No one thought they’d lose a job for good or see small businesses shut down en masse," continued Biden. 

Standing in front a back-drop that read "Build Back Better," a slogan that some argue is similar to Trump's "Make America Great Again," Biden made a play for working- and middle-class voters impacted by the pandemic economy. 

Biden argued that Trump's pandemic-related efforts – including several executive orders that ensure the continuation of enhanced unemployment, suspension of student loan payments, and protection from eviction for many Americans – have not been enough. 

Following his remarks, Biden instructed his staffers to call on a few reporters at the event. The journalists then asked the candidate a series of questions, primarily pertaining to his opinion of the Trump's character. 

One reporter asked what the Atlantic's recently published, and widely disputed, story about Trump purportedly insulting the military implied about the president's "soul." 

A second reporter asked if the presidential candidate had received a coronavirus test. Biden responded that he had been tested once. The reporter did not ask what the result of that one test was. 

A third reporter asked Biden what he thought about Trump's failure to set an example for Americans by wearing a mask, to which Biden responded, "It's hard to respond to something so idiotic," meaning Trump's perceived view on mask use.