Topline
President Trump told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward as early as February that coronavirus was “deadly stuff” and later said he wanted to “play it down” to avoid creating a panic, according to audio files reported by CNN.
US President Donald Trump addresses supporters during a campaign rally at Smith-Reynolds Regional … [+]
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Key Facts
Woodward reports in his upcoming book “Rage” that National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien gave Trump a “jarring” top secret briefing on the virus on January 28th.
O’Brien told Trump that the virus would be the “biggest national security threat” of his administration and his deputy warned of asymptomatic spread, Woodward writes, reportedly causing Trump’s head to “pop up.”
Trump told Woodward in May that he didn’t remember the briefing, adding “I’m sure he said it,” and calling O’Brien a “nice guy.”
Trump also told Woodward in an interview in March of “startling facts” about the virus, such as that it’s “not just old people,” even though he claimed as recently as August that young people are “immune” to the virus.
The White House declined to comment on the record.
Crucial Quote
Trump made no secret of his efforts to purposefully suppress information about the true severity of the virus, admitting to Woodward in March, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Big Number
188,688. That’s how many Americans have died from coronavirus out of nearly 6.3 million cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.
Chief Critic
Woodward’s book reportedly features a number of damning quotes from Trump’s subordinates, with former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis calling the president “dangerous” and “unfit.” Woodward also reports that former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats “continued to harbor the secret belief… that Putin had something on Trump,” though he lacked intelligence to back it up.
Tangent
Woodward’s book also reportedly contains information potentially bolstering an anonymously sourced piece in The Atlantic suggesting Trump called U.S. service members killed in combat “suckers” and “losers,” which the White House has strenuously denied. According to Woodward, an aide to Mattis overheard Trump saying “my fucking generals are a bunch of pussies.” Trump also told Woodward of generals’ views on trade deals, “I wouldn’t say they were stupid, because I would never say that about our military people. But if they said that, they — whoever said that was stupid.”
What To Watch For
Woodward’s book, a followup to his 2018 bestseller “Fear,” about the frenetic dynamic in the early years of Trump’s White House, is slated to come out on Sept. 15.
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