2020 Race: Donald Trump admits playing down coronavirus danger

Donald Trump said publicly Covid was no worse than flu when he knew it was ‘deadly’, according to a new Bob Woodward book.

Donald Trump deliberately downplayed the threat of the virus. Picture: AFP.

Donald Trump deliberately minimised the danger of the coronavirus, saying it was no worse than the flu when he knew it was “deadly” according to an explosive new book by Watergate author Bob Woodward.

The president told Mr Woodward that he publicly downplayed the virus in February because he wanted to avoid panic, but his Democrat Opponent Joe Biden said the revelations amount to a “life-and-death betrayal of the American people”.

The claims in the new book immediately dominated the election campaign after it revealed a conversation between Mr Woodward and Mr Trump on February 7 where the president said of the virus: “This is deadly stuff. 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 flu.”

Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein reacts to Bob Woodward's conversation with President Trump.

"We are listening to the President of the United States, on tape, deliberately undermining the... national security of the United States... It is the smoking gun of his negligence." pic.twitter.com/kvR29pFuZz

— CNN (@CNN) September 9, 2020

The book, Rage, says that in late January Mr Trump’s National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien told the president the virus “will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency … this is going to be the roughest thing you face.”

However in public at that time Mr Trump was repeatedly saying that the virus was no worse than the flu and that it was totally under control and would soon disappear.

The president defended his decision to downplay the virus in public, telling Mr Woodward in March: “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

Mr Trump repeated this defence at the White House Thursday (AEST) saying: “we have to have leadership and the last thing you want to do is create panic in this country … we have to show leadership and leadership is all about confidence.’

‘I’m a cheerleader for our country and I don’t want people to be frightened,.’ He said.

Mr Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany denied the president lied to Americans about the virus, saying he downplayed it because he wanted to prevent “a huge crash and panic” on Wall St.

“This president does what good leaders do,” Ms McEnany said. “Good leaders … stay calm and resolute at a time when you face an insurmountable challenge.”

But Mr Biden said Mr Trump’s decision to hide the deadly nature of the virus was “beyond despicable.”

“He had the information,” Mr Biden said. “He knew how dangerous it was. And while this deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job on purpose. It was a life-and-death betrayal of the American people.

“It’s beyond despicable, it’s a dereliction of duty. It’s a disgrace.”

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the president of “delay, distortion and denial” that cost American lives.

“He understood better than he let on when he was calling it a hoax,” Ms Pelosi said. “His delay, distortion and denial about the threat is responsible for many of the deaths and infections … not all of them, but many of them could have been prevented.”

The news came as a new Monmouth University poll showed that only 37 per cent of registered voters say Mr Trump has done a good job handling the virus while 56 per cent say he has done a bad job.

Joe Biden holds up his schedule with the latest numbers of people who have died from the coronavirus while addressing union members outside the United Auto Workers Region 1 offices. Picture: AFP.

Mr Woodward’s new book, based in part on 18 interviews with Mr Trump, covered a wide range of issues during the past two years of Mr Trump’s term including race relations, North Korea and the president’s relationship with his top brass.

The book quotes former Defence Secretary James Mattis calling Mr Trump “dangerous” and “unfit” for office.

It says Mr Mattis, who had become disenchanted with the president, approached the then Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats about whether there should be “collective action” to speak out against the president.

Mr Mattis told Mr Coats: ““There may come a time when we have to take collective action” against the president who “has no moral compass.”

Mr Coats replied: “True. To him, a lie is not a lie. It’s just what he thinks. He doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie.”

However the book reveals Mr Trump also had a low opinion of his own generals, saying at a meeting; “My f … ing generals are a bunch of pussies” who care more about alliances than trade deals.

The book includes flowery letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the president in which he asked for “another historic meeting between myself and Your Excellency reminiscent of a scene from a fantasy film.”

In another letter, Mr Kim wrote to Mr Trump, “I feel pleased to have formed good ties with such a powerful and pre-eminent statesman as Your Excellency.”

In a separate letter, Mr Kim reflected on their inaugural Singapore summit, calling it “that moment of history when I firmly held Your Excellency’s hand at the beautiful and sacred location as the whole world watched with great interest and hope to relive the honour of that day.”

(Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia)