(CNN) Joe Biden on Friday lambasted President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling Trump to "stop swerving between over-promising, buck-passing, and start delivering protection to our people."

"He's all over the map. In a crisis we need leadership that's straightforward, clear and reliable," the former vice president, who has been home in Wilmington, Delaware, said during a call with reporters. Biden has built a near-insurmountable lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic 2020 nomination.

Biden said Trump is "behind the curve" and "promising results he has not delivered and announcing actions that he has not even ordered," pointing to Trump's comments that don't match reality on the availability of coronavirus tests and a vaccine.

He also criticized Trump for claiming to have invoked the Defense Production Act, allowing for a government-mandated increase in production of supplies like masks and ventilators -- which Biden had urged him to do -- while not using its authority to order American companies to scale up production.

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