Usa 2020. Trump: ready to put my money for re-election
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09 September 2020US President Donald Trump admitted he learned weeks before the first confirmed death from coronavirus in the United States that the virus was dangerous, airborne, highly contagious and "more deadly than even the worst flu" and that he has repeatedly publicly understated.
The revelation is contained in the book by the famous journalist Bob Woodward, 'Rage', of which CNN has anticipated part of the contents.
"This is deadly stuff," Trump told Woodward on February 7 during a series of interviews with the Watergate reporter.
Trump revealed that he knew the threat level of the virus earlier than previously known, adding that the coronavirus was perhaps five times "deadlier" than the flu.
Trump's admissions are in stark contrast to his frequent public comments at the time that insisted that the virus "would disappear" and that "all was well".
In 'Rage', Trump says a president's job is to "keep our country safe".
But in early February, Trump told Woodward he knew how deadly the virus was and, in March, he admitted that he had hidden that knowledge from the public.
"I always wanted to downplay it," Trump told Woodward on March 19, even though he had declared a national emergency due to the virus days earlier.
"And I still prefer to belittle, because I don't want to panic."
White House: Trump did not mislead Americans about virus
Donald Trump did not intentionally mislead Americans about the severity of the coronavirus: White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said this after the previews of the new book by Bob Woodward.
Biden: Trump lied to the country about virus danger
Donald Trump "lied to Americans about the dangers of the virus, which he knew weeks in advance" and his "neglect has cost lives and caused economic recession".
Speaking at a rally in Michigan, Joe Biden attacked his rival in the race for the White House by referring to the revelations in the new book by Bob Woodward, the Watergate reporter.
"He didn't do his job on purpose."