Donald Trump is confronting Bob Woodward’s assertion that the President kept Americans in the dark regarding the severity of the Coronavirus. Trump publicly called out the journalist for not releasing Trump’s comments earlier if he truly believed they were “so bad or dangerous.”
Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didn’t he immediately report them in an effort to save lives? Didn’t he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2020
Trump has been clear that his choice to downplay the pandemic was because he did not want to cause “a panic”, urging American’s to remain “calm.”
Fox News reports:
As for the comments about the severity of the virus, the president defended himself Wednesday, saying: “You cannot show a sense of panic,” while downplaying Woodward’s book as “just another political hit job.”
And White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday echoed a similar sentiment, saying: “When you are facing insurmountable challenges, it is important to express confidence, it is important to express calm.
“He makes clear that he doesn’t want to see chaos, by the way, which is the second part of the quote which you failed to read,” she continued, addressing a reporter who had read part of the quote.
“The president just days after having this discussion with Bob Woodward, said this from this podium, on March 30, he said, ‘I do want them to stay calm, we are doing a great job, if you look at the individual statements they are all true, stay calm, it will go away but it’s important to stay calm,’” the press secretary said. “So this president does what leaders do — good leaders — it’s stay calm and resolute at a time when you face an insurmountable challenge.”
It seems that this feud is just only getting started between the two.
