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Trump Knew of COVID Danger but Downplayed It, Book Recounts

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump knew in early 2020 how deadly
   the coronavirus could be in the United States, but he intentionally
   misled the American public about the severity of the disease to avoid
   panicking people, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.

   As the virus started to sweep from China throughout the world, national
   security adviser Robert O'Brien told Trump in a January 28 White House
   meeting, "This will be the biggest national security threat you face in
   your presidency," according to the book, Rage.

   "This is going to be the roughest thing you face," Woodward, a
   Washington Post associate editor, quoted O'Brien as saying, an
   assessment deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger agreed
   with.

   'Very tricky'

   Trump publicly minimized the threat. Ten days later, he called Woodward
   and said he thought the situation was far more frightful.

   "You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed," Trump said in a
   February 7 call. "And so, that's a very tricky one. That's a very
   delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu."

   "This is deadly stuff," the president repeated for emphasis.

   Publicly, Trump was telling Americans that the virus would soon
   disappear and that it was no worse than a seasonal flu. He insisted the
   U.S. government had it under control.

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