President Trump told the journalist Bob Woodward that he was intentionally downplaying the danger of COVID-19 despite acknowledging how “deadly” the virus was, according to recorded interviews featured in Woodward’s upcoming book, “Rage.”
“To be honest with you, I wanted to always play it down,” Trump told Woodward on March 19, according to audio published in the Washington Post. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
In an interview conducted a month earlier, Trump also said COVID-19 was deadlier than the flu — a stark contrast from the president’s public comments at the time comparing the virus to the seasonal flu.
*Also Read:* Justice Department Seeks to Defend Trump in E. Jean Carroll Defamation Lawsuit
“You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed. And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu,” Trump said during a Feb. 7 call with Woodward. “This is deadly stuff.”
Woodward’s “Rage” will be published next Tuesday and features 18 on-the-record interviews Woodward conducted with Trump from Dec. 2019 to July 2020, according to the Post. The book comes a year after Woodward’s “Fear,” which looked into Trump’s early years in the presidency.
*Related stories from TheWrap:*
'Faux-Bama' Stand-in and 4 More Takeaways From Michael Cohen's Trump Tell-All 'Disloyal'
Michael Cohen's 'Disloyal' Tops Amazon Best-Seller List on Release Day
'Our Cartoon President': Trump Fights Mike Pence Dressed Up as Coronavirus (Exclusive Video)
Trump Tells Bob Woodward He Intentionally Downplayed Danger of COVID-19
The Wrap
0 shares
2 views
You might like
Related news coverage
Of ‘Useful Idiots’ And Russophobic Hysteria In US Elections – OpEd
Eurasia Review
It's quite ironic that although The Atlantic is generally presumed to be a liberal publication, if one listens to the views of its..
Robert Reich: The Coming Civil War Over Trump’s Ego – OpEd
Eurasia Review
Advertisement
More coverage
CDC Director Says COVID Vaccine Won’t Reach American Public Until Late Second Quarter 2021
The Wrap
Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Wednesday that a COVID-19 vaccine would..
President Trump And Crimes Against Humanity – OpEd
Eurasia Review