‘I wanted to always play it down’

COURIER Illustration

In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump admitted to knowing that COVID-19 was not just airborne and highly contagious, but also “deadly stuff.”

In striking contrast to saying the virus would “disappear,” on February 9, Trump told Woodward that it was perhaps five times “more deadly” than the flu.

Trump tweeted this while telling Woodward that the virus was “deadly” and “airborne.” pic.twitter.com/hAcGf4jmcl

— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) September 10, 2020

On March 9, days after declaring a national emergency over the virus, the president tweeted that more Americans die of flu than coronavirus and that it was nothing to shutdown life and economy over.

On March 19, Trump explained what he was doing to Woodward: “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

Woodward even released tapes from the interviews to prove it all.

After admitting that the virus was a “tricky one” that “goes through the air”, Trump then went on to hold massive indoor rallies with no masks or social distancing protocols: Between February 10 and March 2, he held six rallies across Manchester, Arizona, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas Charleston, and Charlotte.

In another example of blatant sabotage, the Trump administration told immigration courts to take down bilingual coronavirus prevention posters. They reversed the order but not before people caught on to it.

The Watergate journalist thinks this is worse than Nixon’s tapes!

Screenshot / YouTube

Carl Bernstein, the legendary investigative journalist that broke the Watergate story along with Bob Woodward appeared on CNN to react to the bombshell book.

He slammed Trump’s “homicidal negligence” of undermining the national security of the United States, the health and well being of its people as perhaps the greatest of presidential felonies.

Bernstein, whose report in The Washington Post subsequently led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, said Trump’s COVID-19-coverup was “even graver than Watergate.”

It’s a dereliction of duty, recorded as no other presidential dereliction of duty has been, even more so than the Nixon tapes, in this instance. So it’s going to be very hard to see how this cannot be addressed by Republicans in particular and their candidate for President of the United States.

The last time this happened during the end of Nixon’s presidency, the Republican leadership, including Barry Goldwater…went to the White House and told Nixon he had to resign. And the facts here are even graver than in Watergate.

"The facts here are even graver than in Watergate" — here's Carl Bernstein (!) suggesting the Trump tapes are even worse than the Nixon tapes pic.twitter.com/4ggxYUynOJ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 9, 2020

Thousands of American lives could have been saved

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Woodward’s new book alleges that Trump knew coronavirus was going to kill people.

After analyzing a video of Trump downplaying the virus in February, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta crunched out how many deaths could have been prevented.

Imagine if in Feb. Trump had called all the governors and told them what he told Woodward. That's the difference between a few thousand dead and 200,000 lives lost

— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 9, 2020

In short, 90% of U.S. coronavirus deaths could have been prevented with faster response and enforcing social distancing two weeks earlier.

If we had acted even a week earlier, if you put in some of these social distancing mechanisms even a week earlier, according to a study out of Columbia, by May we know it would have prevented at least 36,000 deaths. Just acting one week earlier. Two weeks earlier could have prevented 84 percent of deaths by that point in May. So, yeah, it makes a difference, and it makes a bigger difference if you enact these things early.

Columbia University estimated that 83% of deaths could have been avoided if we took action just two weeks earlier.

190,478 Covid deaths
190,478 x 17% = 32,721 deaths not his fault
190,478 x 83% = 158,097 deaths are Trump’s fault

Trump’s lies have killed 158,097 Americans.

— Alameda Mark (@alamedamark) September 9, 2020

Republicans are actually defending Trump over this

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Several loyal Trumpians and colleagues backed the president over Woodward’s claims. CNN noted that most of them were up for reelection.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) defended 45 saying, “When you’re in a crisis situation, you have to inform people for their public health but you also don’t want to create hysteria.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) followed that up with, “I don’t think he needs to go on TV and screaming we’re all going to die.”

Woodward could release the Donald/Ivanka sex tape and Republicans would defend him saying he just really loves his daughter.

— I Smoked Trump's Snuff Tape (@Dknight10k) September 10, 2020

Everyone wants to know why Trump sat for 18 interviews

Former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill brought in the heat against Trump on MSNBC’s Deadline: White House.

She admitted that she was tired of Trump and his cronies standing at the podium and using it to lie to the American people, and eventually killing them with his lies. McCaskill also noted that Trump is running a campaign based on fear and panic.

But the severest burn of them all? She torched Trump for being naive enough to sit through 18 separate interviews with Bob Woodward who is renowned for digging up dirt on the White House — during an election year no less!

This is ultimate stupidity. He is so stupid and he knows — he did the last interview, like, a month ago?! He did the last interview a month ago, so when is the book coming out? The book is coming out within two months of his election with tapes. 18 hours of tapes! Hours and hours of tapes! So this president is the stupidest president that has ever held the office. Forget about for a minute, for all of his followers, forget about the integrity issue, the character issue. This guy’s too dumb to lead the country because this was really, really stupid.

Watch Claire McCaskill destroy Trump. It is the medicine we all need after this day! 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/QpxolfULkM

— Mystery Solvent (@MysterySolvent) September 9, 2020

Even Fox News’ Tucker Carlson wasn’t having it. Although he didn’t directly tackle Trump’s alleged coverup, he wanted to know “why in the world” Trump would do this interview.

He then went after Sen. Graham for recommending it:

Lindsey Graham is supposed to be a Republican, so why would he do something like that? You would have to ask him. But keep in mind that Lindsey Graham has opposed — passionately opposed — virtually every major policy initiative that Donald Trump articulated when he first ran. From ending illegal immigration to pulling back from pointless wars to maintaining law and order at home. Lindsey Graham was against all of that, more than many Democrats. So maybe you already know the answer.

The most underrated thing about Trump is how stupid he is. He is a genuinely dumb man. To say these things to Woodward knowing he’s being recorded is spectacularly moronic. Can’t spell liar, can’t pronounce Yosemite. Dumb as a rock.

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) September 10, 2020

Make sure you are registered to vote — November 3rd is coming.