Woodward: "Trump Said 'COVID-19 Is Deadly'" (Summary)

Next Week's Release 'Gyeokno' Reveals Trump Phone Call... Claims of Concealing COVID-19 Risks
Trump Explains, "I am the Country's Cheerleader... I Don't Want to Make People Anxious"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Former Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward claimed in his new book that U.S. President Donald Trump concealed the fact that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was far deadlier than the flu. President Trump admitted the remarks, saying it was a measure to prevent panic, but denied wrongdoing.

On the 9th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) and CNN reported excerpts from Woodward's upcoming book "Rage," revealing that in an interview with Woodward on February 7, President Trump said, "It (the coronavirus) is very tricky and difficult to handle," and "It is deadlier than your severe flu." They added, "President Trump probably explained that COVID-19 would be five times deadlier than the flu."

Woodward disclosed detailed mentions of COVID-19 he heard during 18 interviews with President Trump.

According to the book, President Trump recognized the danger of COVID-19 at least by January 28 this year, when he received a report from Robert O'Brien, National Security Council (NSC) advisor, in the White House office. Advisor O'Brien reported, "COVID-19 will be the greatest national security threat during the president's term," and "It will be the toughest challenge the president faces." Matthew Pottinger, then NSC deputy advisor, agreed. Pottinger, who obtained information from China where the outbreak was rampant, told the president, "It is clear that we are facing a public health emergency comparable to the 1918 influenza pandemic that caused about 50 million deaths worldwide."

Ten days later, President Trump told Woodward in a phone call, "I think the current situation is much more serious than what I have publicly mentioned." He added, "This is deadly."

Woodward pointed out that President Trump publicly downplayed the risk of COVID-19, missing the opportunity to respond effectively. WP reported the phone conversation between Trump and Woodward, including Trump's remarks at the time that "the coronavirus is no worse than seasonal flu. The government is fully in control, and it will disappear soon."

President Trump's concealment continued thereafter. In a March 19 interview, he said, "Some amazing facts came out today and yesterday," adding, "It's not just old people. There are many young people too." On April 5, he called it a "terrible thing." At that time, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics, the cumulative confirmed cases in the U.S. were 325,185, and deaths were 9,180. On April 13, he also said, "It can spread too easily. You wouldn't believe it."

In a May interview, when asked if he remembered Advisor O'Brien's warning that "the virus would be the greatest national security threat during the term," President Trump responded ambiguously, saying "No."

Despite the snowballing COVID-19 casualties, in his last interview with Woodward in July, President Trump said, "The virus has nothing to do with me," and "It's not my fault. It's China that released a virus that will ruin them."

As the book's content stirred controversy, President Trump responded. When asked by reporters, he said, "The fact is, I am the cheerleader of this country and I love this country," adding, "I don't want to scare people." He explained, "Maybe I did it to reduce panic." President Trump claimed he did not act that way and argued that the prices of medical masks and gowns would have skyrocketed.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden immediately criticized. At a rally in Michigan, Biden said, "President Trump deliberately downplayed and lied to the American people," calling it "a betrayal of the lives and deaths of the people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.