AKIPRESS.COM - Former US President Barack Obama has strongly criticised his successor Donald Trump over his response to the coronavirus crisis.

In a private conference call, he called the US handling of the pandemic "an absolute chaotic disaster".

His remarks were made while encouraging former staff to work for Joe Biden's presidential election team, CNN says.

The White House said in response that President Trump's "unprecedented" action had "saved Americans' lives".

During the call, Mr Obama said his Republican successor's approach to government was partly to blame for the US response to coronavirus.

"It would have been bad even with the best of government," he was quoted as saying in the call. "It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset of 'what's in it for me' and 'to heck with everybody else', when that mindset is operationalised in our government."

Mr Obama also strongly criticised the decision to drop criminal charges against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.