President Trump revealed in an interview with MSNBC that he downplayed the Coronavirus in order to “show strength.”
In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday Sept. 9th, he explained. “We don’t want to jump up and down and say we have a problem,” Trump said, after claiming to be a “cheerleader” for the country.
His rationalization for initially making the virus seem only as dangerous as the standard flu, was to keep the country away from a state of “panic.” Last winter, Trump relentlessly assured the public that the government had COVID-19 under control, despite a hesitation by health officials.
When asked how the country can trust his words in the future, Trump said, “Well, that’s really a big part of trust, we have to show leadership.”
Ultimately, he chose to withhold certain details to “avoid panic” in order to avoid bigger problems.
Trump’s comments followed initial reveal of information that he downplayed the effects of the virus in interviews with Bob Woodward, who has been writing a book on the President. Woodward’s book, “Rage,” included written reporting from recording of phone interviews with President Trump.
