Sunday, May 18, 2025
Khmer Daily Cambodia News
34 °c
Phnom Penh
  • LATEST
  • CAMBODIA
  • ASIA
    • JAPAN
    • SOUTH KOREA
    • TAIWAN
  • WORLD
    • CHINA
    • RUSSIA
  • BUSINESS CAMBODIA
  • TECHNOLOGY
No Result
View All Result
  • LATEST
  • CAMBODIA
  • ASIA
    • JAPAN
    • SOUTH KOREA
    • TAIWAN
  • WORLD
    • CHINA
    • RUSSIA
  • BUSINESS CAMBODIA
  • TECHNOLOGY
No Result
View All Result
The Khmer Daily
No Result
View All Result
Home World

Trump says he minimised coronavirus so as not to create panic, book reveals

September 10, 2020
in World
0
Trump says he minimised coronavirus so as not to create panic, book reveals
0
SHARES
9
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump acknowledged in February he knew how deadly and contagious the novel coronavirus was but did not convey that information to the American people because he did not want to create a panic, according to Trump interviews cited in a new book.

The recorded interviews, obtained by CNN and based on a new book entitled Rage by journalist Bob Woodward, came out just weeks before the Nov 3 presidential election and as Trump’s efforts to battle Covid-19 have come under intense criticism as being too little too late.

The Republican president, who has been hammered by Democratic opponent Joe Biden over the slow US government response to the coronavirus, played down the virus for months as it took hold and spread quickly across the country.

“I wanted to always play it down,” Trump told Woodward on March 19, days after he declared a national emergency.

“I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

In that conversation, Trump also told Woodward that some “startling facts” had just come out about the virus’ targets: “It’s not just old, older. Young people too, plenty of young people.”

Trump on Wednesday defended his handling of the virus, which has killed more than 190,000 people in the United States so far, with new cases spiking in the Midwest.

“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 a White House event.

“We’ve done well from any standard,” he added.

According to the interviews, CNN and The Washington Post reported, Trump knew the virus was especially deadly in early February.

“It goes through the air,” Trump said in a recording of a Feb 7 interview with Woodward.

“That’s always tougher than the touch. You don’t have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed.

“And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.”

A week after that interview, Trump said at a White House briefing that the number of US coronavirus cases “within a couple days is going to be down close to zero.”

Some Senate Republicans defended Trump’s coronavirus response on Wednesday.

“His actions of shutting the economy down were the right actions,” Trump ally Lindsey Graham said. “And I think the tone during that time sort of spoke for itself.”

Woodward conducted 18 interviews with Trump for the book, due to be released Sept 15.

Other revelations in the book include Trump’s disparaging remarks about US military leaders. He drew criticism this week following reports that he denigrated fallen military personnel and veterans.

In Woodward’s book, an aide to former Defence Secretary James Mattis heard Trump say in a meeting, “my f***ing generals are a bunch of p***ies” because they cared more about alliances than trade deals.

Mattis asked the aide to document the comment in an email, CNN reported.

Regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, Woodward asked Trump his views on the concept of white privilege and whether he feels isolated by that privilege from the plight of Black Americans.

“No. You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you? Just listen to you,” Trump replied, according to media reports on the book.

“Wow. No, I don’t feel that at all.”

This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.

Tags: #coronavirus#COVID-19Donald TrumpUSA
Previous Post

Thai protesters plan big march to PM’s office next week

Next Post

Asia summits underway amid US-China friction

Related Posts

Italy to pass ‘right to be forgotten’ law for cancer survivors

Italy to pass ‘right to be forgotten’ law for cancer survivors

by AsiaOne
June 15, 2023
0
24

ROME — Italy will pass a law on the "right to be forgotten" (RTBF) for cancer survivors, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni...

Bill Gates in China: Microsoft co-founder to meet Xi Jinping

Bill Gates in China: Microsoft co-founder to meet Xi Jinping

by AsiaOne
June 15, 2023
0
38

HONG KONG — Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp's co-founder, is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday (June 16) during his...

US judge temporarily blocks Microsoft acquisition of Activision

US judge temporarily blocks Microsoft acquisition of Activision

by AsiaOne
June 15, 2023
0
29

WASHINGTON - A US judge late on Tuesday (June 13) granted the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request to temporarily block Microsoft...

Most Popular

$2 million electric motorbike assembly plant in Cambodia by Verywords Co Ltd launched

$2 million electric motorbike assembly plant in Cambodia by Verywords Co Ltd launched

May 30, 2023
48
EZECOM first to collaborate with AWS to provide leading Cloud service for Cambodia

EZECOM first to collaborate with AWS to provide leading Cloud service for Cambodia

March 15, 2022
43
Ford Cambodia, operated by RMA Cambodia, brings vehicles and technical training

Ford Cambodia, operated by RMA Cambodia, brings vehicles and technical training

September 1, 2020
56
Innovation key to Cambodia’s garment industry growth

Innovation key to Cambodia’s garment industry growth

December 3, 2021
17
Tire factory in Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone officially launched

Tire factory in Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone officially launched

May 23, 2023
95
Eva Premium Ice is looking for distributors as it expands in Cambodia

Eva Premium Ice is looking for distributors as it expands in Cambodia

November 12, 2021
29

© 2020 By Khmer Daily News

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Cambodia
  • ASIA
  • World
  • Business
  • Tech

© 2019 The Khmer Daily.

error: Content is protected !!