• Shocking new excerpt from Bob Woodward's book 'Rage' show Trump downplayed COVID-19 threat but knew how deadly and contagious it is
• Trump: "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
An excerpt from RAGE, Bob Woodward's new book, reveals that Donald Trump admitted he intentionally downplayed the coronavirus threat. At least 190,000 Americans have died of COVID-19.
"I wanted to always play it down," Donald Trump is reported to have told Woodward.
Here is the full quote from Donald Trump: "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
The New York Times has more on the revelation here.
The news about Trump's admittance to Woodward just broke this morning, and may or may not be the reason a White House press briefing was delayed over an hour.
After an hour delay, Kayleigh McEnany is now addressing the press.
"The president has never lied to the American public on COVID," @PressSec told reporters at the White House, after recordings of on-the-record interviews with Trump confirmed the opposite.
We are living in the bad timeline, friends.
More below via Twitter, reporters and news organizations covering the shitshow live this Wednesday morning.
