Book reveals that Trump knew in February of the severity of the virus. But he preferred to devalue not to create panic – Observer

US President Donald Trump admitted that he knew, long before Covid-19’s first confirmed death in the U.S., that the virus was dangerous, that it was carried through the air and that it was therefore highly contagious. I knew it was “more deadly than a normal flu”, but repeatedly said the opposite in an attempt not to cause panic. This is one of the revelations made by the historic American journalist Bob Woodward in his most recent book “Anger”.

According to the CNN, Trump has given a series of interviews to Bob Woodward in the past few months, between December 5, 2019 and July 21, 2020, which are now revealed in the book, which will be published on September 15. That’s when Trump admits, in an interview on February 7, well before the U.S. was hit hard by the new coronavirus, that the virus was deadly and dangerous. “This is a deadly thing,” he said at the time.

The work, now revealed, shows how Trump had a much more advanced level of knowledge about the new coronavirus than was public knowledge at the time. At that time, the President of the United States would have confessed to Wodward that it was “impressive” how the virus was “Probably five times more deadly than the flu”. A few months later, the United States was the hardest hit country.

“It circulates through the air, which is always worse than if it is just by touch. A person can not touch things, right? But in the air, in the air it is impossible, just breathe the air and this is how it passes. That’s why it’s so complicated. It is very delicate, and more deadly than seasonal flu, ”he said in the same interview on February 7.

Donald Trump admitting the gravity of the situation in February contrasts sharply with the statements he would later make in public, always devaluing the virus, devaluing the use of a mask and refusing to close the trade and services in advance, saying that everything would be fine. A week after this interview with Woodward, for example, Trump gives a press conference at the White House to ensure that “in a few days the number of cases will be close to zero”.

The new book by the author of “Fear” and one of the reporters who revealed the Watergate case, shows that Trump has always known. but he always wanted to devalue himself so as not to cause widespread panic, even though the failure to take action could contribute to the death of thousands of people, who were not properly alert to the danger, did not wear masks. nor did they practice the recommended social detachment.

On March 19, Donald Trump appears quoted explaining to the interviewer that he “always wanted to minimize the situation” and that he continues to do so: “I don’t want to cause a panic”, admits. Days before giving this interview, however, Trump had declared a state of national emergency.

The book, scheduled for release on September 15, reflects 18 authorized interviews with the US president in the past year, but also reports from close people who worked closely at the White House during the Covidean pandemic phase. 19. This is the case of Anthony Fauci, the main advisor in the field of epidemiology and infectious diseases, who appears to criticize Donald Trump’s “aimless” leadership, his lack of attention capacity, and to suggest that the Trump’s “only goal” is re-election.

A CNN released on Wednesday the contents of some audios from Woodward’s interviews that show how the American president was not responsible for the decisions on the pandemic that has already infected more than 6 million American citizens and killed more than 185 thousand. In one of the last interviews in July, Trump even said that he had nothing to do with the virus. “The virus has nothing to do with me, it is not my fault. China let the virus out ”, said.

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