On Wednesday Joe Biden accused President Trump of throwing “temper tantrums” instead of showing concern for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic, increasing his criticism of Trump after a string of highly contentious White House briefings over the past few weeks.

“He likes to say he’s a wartime president. Well, he needs to begin to step up and act like one,” Biden said during a virtual town hall. “Not harangue the press for hours on end while people are dying, your friends and co-workers are dying, our family members and friends and neighbors are dying, while Trump is having temper tantrums about his authority.”

During his virtual town hall on Wednesday as he heard from workers expressing fears for their safety, Biden, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, alleged that Trump was prioritizing political calculations over the human toll of the outbreak within America.

“Have we heard him offer anything that approaches a sincere expression of empathy for the people that are hurting?” Biden said of the president. “Have we seen any sign that he grasps just how hard it will be for people to recover from this, not just economically, but physically and emotionally, as well?”

Biden added: “I hope that your stories and your bravery get to him.”

Biden’s new more visceral attacks come as Trump has repeatedly to deflected blame for how his administration has been handling the crisis, arguing with reporters in his daily news briefings and slamming critics who have challenged the president’s optimistic albeit inaccurate characterization of his own response and the’ political campaign’ tinge of the briefings.

Biden earlier in the week skewered President Trump over his rather disputed claim during a press briefing that the president has “total authority” to override state governors and reopen the country, tweeting that “I am not running for office to be king.”