Trump said he wanted to 'play down' coronavirus risk in March despite knowing it's 'deadly stuff'

President Trump at a coronavirus task force hearing.
(Image credit: NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

President Trump always knew COVID-19 was dangerous, but admittedly didn't want to tell Americans that.

Trump talked to The Washington Post's Bob Woodward for Woodward's forthcoming book Rage back during in the early days of the coronavirus' arrival stateside. Trump knew the virus was "deadly stuff" back in early February, he said in a call at the time, but told Woodward on March 19 he wanted to "play it down," a preview of Rage published Wednesday reveals.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.