在告诉《今夜世界新闻》主播两周之后大卫·穆尔前副总统，如果科学家建议他关闭国家乔·拜登正在反击唐纳德·特朗普总统和他的盟友说，如果当选，拜登将关闭国家。特朗普称之为“拜登关门”演讲在上周的共和党全国代表大会上。
在拜登与竞选伙伴森的首次联合采访中卡马拉·哈里斯8月21日，穆尔问拜登是否准备好了关闭这个国家冠状病毒科学家警告说，危机与流感季节相结合是可能的。
“我愿意不惜一切代价拯救生命。因为除非我们控制住病毒，否则我们无法让这个国家运转起来。”“这是本届政府思维的根本缺陷。为了保持国家的运转和经济的增长，以及人们的就业，你必须修复病毒。你必须对付病毒。”
奥利维尔·杜利里/法新社，通过盖蒂图像，文件
民主党总统候选人乔·拜登和副总统候选人卡马拉·哈里斯在德尔威尔明顿的大通中心外问候支持者。，在民主党全国代表大会结束时，2020年8月20日。
当缪尔问及如果科学家建议他关闭这个国家，他是否会这样做时，拜登回答说:“我会关闭它。”我会听科学家的。”
周三，在他对穆尔的回答成为攻击目标后，拜登在特拉华州告诉记者，他将关注科学，但不相信如果采取措施减缓病毒的传播，这个国家会被关闭。
拜登说:“在我看来，没有必要关闭整个经济。”“大卫·缪尔问我一个问题，如果我被要求关闭一切。我认为这是一个一般性的问题，如果——我要遵循科学吗?我要坚持，现在也要坚持，没有任何权威，这个国家的每一个负责任的人，不管他们是否在公共场合，和他们一起生活的一群人——因为他们知道他们没有把它传播给他们的丈夫、妻子等等。-他们戴着面具。”
Joe Biden clarifies 'shutdown' comments made to ABC News' David Muir
Two weeks after telling "World News Tonight" AnchorDavid Muirthat he would shut down the country if scientists advised him to, former Vice PresidentJoe Bidenis fighting back againstPresident Donald Trumpand his allies who have said Biden would shut the country down if elected. Trump dubbed it the "Biden shutdown" during hisspeechat the Republican National Convention last week.
During Biden’s first joint interview with running mate Sen.Kamala Harris, D-Calif., on Aug. 21, Muir asked Biden if he'd be prepared to shut the country down if thecoronaviruscrisis combined with the flu season as scientists have warned is a possibility.
"I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives. Because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus," Biden told Muir. "That is the fundamental flaw of this administration's thinking to begin with. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus. You have to deal with the virus."
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris greet supporters outside the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del., at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 20, 2020.
When Muir pressed whether he shut down the country if the scientists advised him to do so, Biden responded, "I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists."
On Wednesday -- after his answer to Muir became the target of attacks -- Biden told reporters in Delaware he would follow the science, but doesn't believe the country would be shut down if measures are taken to slow the spread of the virus.
"There's going to be no need, in my view, to be able to shut down the whole economy," Biden said. "I got asked by David Muir a question, if I was asked to shut everything down. I took that as a generic question if -- am I going to follow the science? I am going to insist, and I insist now, without any authority, that every responsible person in this country, when they're out in public or not, with the cohort that they have lived with -- because they know they haven't spread it to their husband, wife, etc. -- that they wear a mask."
