Woodward Book: Trump 'Playing' Down COVID Threat
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post
We ran the numbers: There are 1551 news articles covering this topic. 33% (513) are left leaning, 37% (576) are center, and 30% (462) are right leaning.
According to Rage, a new book written by veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward about Trump’s tenure, Trump knew that the coronavirus was “deadly” and admitted to playing down the COVID threat. While left-leaning articles highlight that national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien warned Trump about the threat of the coronavirus, right-leaning articles highlight that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said that he “didn’t get any sense that he [Trump] was distorting anything.”
The Washington Post published a left-leaning article highlighting that national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien told Trump that the coronavirus will be “the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency.” The article also notes that the president continued to claim that he has done more for Blacks than any president, as Woodward pressed Trump to understand the plight of Black Americans after generations of discrimination.
USA Today published a centrist article reporting that Trump told Woodward on March 19th that he wanted to “play it [the coronavirus] down,” because he didn’t want to “create a panic.” This statement is a juxtaposition from the president’s public remarks at the time, where he tweeted, "So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on."
A right-leaning article by Fox News highlights that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden charged that President Trump “knowingly and willingly lied” to the nation about the severity of the coronavirus before the pandemic swept the nation. The Trump campaign also highlighted comments made by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, who said that he “didn’t get any sense that he [Trump] was distorting anything.”
From the left
The Washington Post