 |
| US President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at Smith Reynolds Regional Airport in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Sep 8, 2020. (Photo BY=REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] US President Donald Trump acknowledged to a journalist early in the coronavirus pandemic that he played down the danger of the health crisis despite having evidence to the contrary, according to a new book.
"I wanted to always play it down," Trump told author Bob Woodward on Mar 19, days after he declared a national emergency. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic." CNN on Wednesday broadcast interviews Woodward did with Trump for his new book Rage. The book, to go on sale next Tuesday, just weeks before the Nov 3 presidential election, comes amid criticism of Trump's efforts to battle COVID-19.
Trump was criticized by his Democratic rival Joe Biden over the slow US government response to the coronavirus, played down the crisis for months as it took hold and spread across the country. On Wednesday he defended his handling of the virus, which has killed about 190,000 people in the United States. "The fact is I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I don't want people to be frightened," Trump said at the White House. "We've done well from any standard." According to the interviews, CNN and The Washington Post reported, Trump knew the virus was dangerous in early February.
