Woodward Defends Withholding Trump Coronavirus Interview

Topline

Journalist Bob Woodward said Wednesday he didn’t release bombshell interviews with President Donald Trump earlier because he wanted to confirm that Trump—who, according to the interviews, believed the coronavirus was “deadly stuff” as far back as February but decided to downplay it publicly—was repeating reliable information.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“He tells me this, and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, that’s interesting, but is it true?’ Trump says things that don’t check out, right?” Woodward told the Associated Press.

Key Background

Trump appeared to confirm Woodward’s reporting Wednesday during an event at the White House. “The fact is I’m a cheerleader for this country. I love our country. And I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic, as you say, and certainly I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy,” he said. But Trump’s comments still drew harsh criticism from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who called them a “life and death betrayal of the American people,” and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who asked why Republicans haven’t staged an intervention for the president. 

Tangent

 According to CNN, Woodward’s book also reveals that an aide to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis overheard Trump saying disparaging comments about the military, including, “my f*cking generals are a bunch of p*ssies.” Those comments echo reporting from the Atlantic last week that Trump called U.S. service members killed in combat “suckers” and “losers,” which the White House has denied.

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