Former US president Barack Obama has described Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis an ‘absolute chaotic disaster’.

He said the president was responsible for an increase in selfishness and tribalism during the crisis.

In a call obtained by Yahoo News, Obama said on Friday: "What we’re fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy — that has become a stronger impulse in American life.

"And by the way, we’re seeing that internationally as well. 

"It’s part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty.

"It would have been bad even with the best of governments. 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 operationalized in our government.

“That’s why, I, by the way, am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden.”

Biden has since approved a series of new hires that will expand his presidential campaign significantly against Trump ahead of the general election in November.