WASHINGTON—President Trump told journalist Bob Woodward this spring that he was deliberately playing down the severity of the coronavirus to avoid inciting panic as he publicly dismissed the virus’s threat in a way public-health experts say harmed the ability to restrict its spread.
“I wanted to always play it down,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Woodward on March 19, according to audio recordings of the interview obtained by CNN on Wednesday. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Glad he acknowledged, time for people to move on and wear masks
1/ Trump knew how deadly this airborne virus would be from Day 1; yet since Day 1, has politicized the use of masks & still does so today to discourage ppl from protecting themselves knowing full well how lethal it is.
floridarocket70 Funny he said that because his campaign demagoguery is based on spreading panic among white people so they vote for him again. He has nothing to offer to his voters but fear of “those people.” TrumpKnew TrumpLiedPeopleDied
Bob Woodward lies remember the deathbed quotes from William Casey?
Just to demonstrate how stupid & devoid of all logic Trump’s reasoning is people now know how dangerous CV19 is & there is no massive panicking! Worst part because of his lying & total incompetence millions of people infected thousands dying BLAME TRUMP
People freaked out over toilet paper... could you just imagine the psychos if they knew?!
Yeah, its called leadership....find a dictionary and look for it
By not effectively managing crisis caused panic
Last thing you want you leader to do is panic and freaking out in the crisis, he calmed the nation and took decisive action to ban the travel as everyone against including dementia Joe mocking him racist, that’s what people remember
Watch the right goes after Woodward...😒
Life could have been saved had he not panicked about his concerns to not create panic. Americans can digest bad news and take precautionary actions. American did not get that chance! Many many died who could have been alive! Gross incompetence/ignorance/arrogance! God Bless USA.
The fact is he lied and has continued to lie to the American people . Still waiting for those 6 U.S. Steel plants to be built not happening . He thinks Republicans are stupid and will believe anything he says and so far he's right . His lies have now cost American lives SAD
did he tell bob about the russians?
It’s called “Keep calm and carry on”. But Trump stopped travel to China right away and also to Europe, imposed a mass lockdown and has doctors working on therapeutics and a vaccine. You can thank China and the WHO for this worldwide disaster!
This spring? And Woodward waited until September? Right...
That's not what Fauci said. ✌🐸
If it is from rebeccaballhaus it is FakeNewsMedia
When you have a multi-tiered plan of action, panic will not occur. Trump had nothing.
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Come on, President Trump loves American people as much as he loves Don Jr!
Facemask facemask facemask.
any good president would automatically try to keep his people calm do you think it would do you any good going crazy it won't were better off staying calm and finding answers
anblanx Dr Fauci says you lie.
Doctor (in his mind): I know this patient has cancer and I know there are some things we could try to control it... Doctor says to the patient: Don’t worry about it...it’s just the flu and will go away in a couple of weeks...
What responsibility does Mr. Woodward have in withholding this vital health information for more than five months so that he could use it in a book reveal? Dispicable behavior from Mr. Woodward.
This is deadly stuff,” Trump told Mr. Woodward on February 7. “You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Trump said. “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.” realDonaldTrump
When was the last one of Woodward's book anyone believed a word of? 1975?
Are you kidding? The fear mongering and complete overstatement of the Coronavirus deadliness is one of the great media frauds of our time. Trump was about the ONLY PERSON not trying to scare the nation half to death!
This is stupid. NYC not shutting down mass transit at the beginning of March had more to do with it than anything Trump said or believed.
Liar.
When did he tell him? Wasn't there a similar point long time ago? What about the rest of the people who knew the data? Why does this seem like book marketing?
Can’t wait for the next OPed from you where you praise his leadership and question the investigations into his actions as president.
Another „blame Trump“. Fact is, nation and states were unprepared for the virus and the media infused hype. There is no country leader that named the „severity of the virus“- whatever that is. The only age group for which this virus is more dangerous than the flu is 80+.
That's the exact same thing every gov does to avoid panic and chaos. what makes the president different from the rest of the world actions especially china?
Doesn't seem like good leadership. Maybe *this* is the moment he becomes presi...
For the sake of the Republican Party....
We are not little babies, we can take the truth.
Where is the evidence Talk is cheap as is hearsay.
So the media is now shooting the wounded. May want to start with themselves.
Dayum
Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against a person who, through criminal negligence, allows another person to die.