Donald Trump has been accused of downplaying the severity of coronavirus in the United States. While the president denied the allegations, it was recently revealed that he told journalist Bob Woodward that he intentionally refrained from giving priority to the outbreak in his public comments in a bid to avoid triggering panic.
In an interview with the author and associate editor for the Washington Post, Bob Woodward, the president admitted that he always wanted to play it down, and still fancies playing it down because he didn't want to create a panic. This remark came on Mar. 19, as part of a series of interviews for Woodward's book, "Rage," which is slated to be released this month.
Trump told the author on Feb. 7 that the coronavirus transmitted through the air, while he continued denying its severity, comparing the deadly pathogen to the seasonal flu that would disappear quickly. The audio recordings of excerpts of the interview were published by CNN earlier this week.
“It goes through the air, Bob, that’s always tougher than the touch,” Trump told Woodward, noting that it is passed through the air people breathe. The excerpts suggest the president told Woodward that the coronavirus was deadlier than even strenuous cases of flu.
These comments came the same day, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping on Twitter for his handling of the pandemic. Woodward’s book also suggests that the National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien warned Trump in a Jan. 28 meetings about the virus is the biggest national security threat he would face during his presidency, Washington Post reported.
According to Woodward, O’Brien told Trump that the coronavirus pandemic would be the toughest thing he'd face, adding that the president's head popped up at the dire warning. In May, Trump told Woodward that he didn't recall getting warned by O’Brien, but he restricted travel from China shortly after.
Trump's health secretary, Alex Azar claimed on Jan. 31 that the risk of infection for people in the United States was low. The book encompasses 18 interviews that Trump gave Woodward between Dec. and July, and also includes background conversations with various sources and officials.
The book comes as Trump trails his Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden, with surveys indicating Americans aren't pleased with the president's handling of the virus. Trump has tried to deviate blame, by regularly calling it the China Virus, which has claimed the lives of over 189,000 Americans across the country.
Woodward acquired 25 unseen personal letters exchanged between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump, who described the book as "another political hit job," Times Now News reported.