Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE expressed solidarity with health care workers and first responders combating the coronavirus pandemic in an ad released Tuesday.

"This is a war, and these are our soldiers," Biden says in the digital ad, titled “American Heroes,” over footage of paramedics and nurses. The ad is airing in battleground states.

"As president, I wouldn't send an American soldier anywhere in the world without all the equipment and protection they need. We should not do any less for the heroes on the frontlines in this battle we're in now," Biden continues.

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Amid the pandemic, the former vice president says, “we’re being challenged, tested, pushed to our limits, and I couldn’t be prouder of the American people and how they’re responding.” Biden emphasized that health care workers and first responders demonstrate “the soul of this nation.”

As Biden has cemented his status as the Democratic presidential front-runner, he has criticized President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE’s response to the pandemic as well as the president's prior calls for businesses to be quickly reopened. Health officials have cautioned against reopening many businesses until the rate of infections can be lowered.

“It would be a catastrophic thing to do for our people and for our economy if we sent people back to work just as we were beginning to see the impact of social distancing take hold only to unleash a second spike in infections,” Biden told reporters at a virtual briefing last week, days before Trump walked back proposals to end social distancing measures by Easter.

Biden has also defended Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) amid attacks from Trump, who said Whitmer was “not stepping up” and “doesn’t get it done” after Whitmer said medical supply vendors who have contracts with Michigan have been told not to send the products.

“Facing a dangerous abdication of leadership from Donald Trump during this pandemic, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been a tenacious fighter for Michigan families,” Biden said in a statement released by his presidential campaign.

Trump announced on Sunday that the White House will keep its social distancing guidelines in place through the end of April, stating that "nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won."