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Trump Aide Warned Early on of Deadly US Coronavirus Outbreak

Ken Bredemeier

   Peter Navarro, the trade adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, warned
   in two newly disclosed White House memos in January and February of the
   dire consequences of an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in the
   United States, but Trump for weeks continued to publicly downplay
   concerns.

   In late January, Navarro estimated that as many as 543,000 Americans
   could die from the then-initial global spread of the virus that had
   erupted first in China, and a month later he suggested the coronavirus
   could kill from 1 million to 2 million Americans.

   Navarro wrote in his late January memo, "The lack of immune protection
   or an existing cure or vaccine would leave Americans defenseless in the
   case of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on U.S. soil. This lack of
   protection elevates the risk of the coronavirus evolving into a
   full-blown pandemic, imperiling the lives of millions of Americans."

   Navarro's memos, disclosed in stories Tuesday in The New York Times and
   on the Axios news website, are the latest indication that some White
   House aides signaled to Trump they were worried about the coronavirus
   long before the president voiced public concern.

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