Woodward Responds To Criticism He Sat On Vital Information From Trump Interviews

Topline

After facing backlash for not immediately disclosing what President Trump told him about the severity of the coronavirus in February, journalist Bob Woodward said in multiple interviews Monday he decided to withhold the information because he believed the president was talking about the effects of the virus in China, not the U.S., when he warned about the deadliness of Covid-19 in an interview on February 7.

Key Facts

Audio clips from Woodward’s new book, Rage — which is set for release Tuesday — were released last week, and revealed the president knew about the deadliness of the virus in February, even as he publicly downplayed it. 

Woodward has been criticized by journalists — and even the president — for not publishing his reporting immediately after the interview took place because that information may have saved lives.

The famed Watergate journalist defended his decision to withhold the information in interviews with NPR and NBC News on Monday, saying he “believed [Trump] was talking about the virus in China,” not the U.S. when he spoke to him on February 7, because the president had talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping the “night before.”

“At the point in February,” Woodward added, “there was no virus awareness in the United States.”

In previous interviews defending his decision to not publish information from the interviews immediately, Woodward said he also wasn’t sure what Trump was saying was accurate at the time: “He tells me this, and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, that’s interesting, but is it true?’” Woodward told the Associated Press.

Woodward says he spent months after the February 7 interview attempting to verify the information about the virus Trump had told him; it wasn’t until May that Woodward says he found out Trump was briefed by national security adviser Robert O'Brien about the threat of the virus, at which point everyone knew about the threat the virus posed.  

Crucial Quote

"If at any point I had thought there's something to tell the American people that they don't know, I would do it,” Woodward told NPR. 

Key Background

On February 7, Trump told Woodward Covid-19 was “more deadly than even your strenuous flus.” At the time, the president was downplaying the threat of the virus, and would continue to do so for weeks. In a follow-up interview on March 9, Trump told Woodward he deliberately played down the severity of the virus, as to not cause “panic.” 

Chief Critic

Trump has since defended his decision to downplay the threat of the virus, saying he wanted to “show a level of confidence.” "What I went out and said is very simple: I want to show a level of confidence, and I want to show strength as a leader, and I want to show our country is going to be fine one way or another," Trump said at a news conference last week. The president has also criticized Woodward directly. "If Bob Woodward thought what I said was bad, then he should have immediately, right after I said it, gone out to the authorities, so they can prepare and let them know," Trump said. 

Further Reading

Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans (Washington Post)

'Play it down': Trump admits to concealing the true threat of coronavirus in new Woodward book (CNN)

Audio Reveals Trump Knew Of Virus Severity Early And Sought To ‘Play It Down’ (Forbes)

Woodward Criticized For Not Publishing Trump Revelations Sooner (NPR)

Bob Woodward: Trump ‘possessed knowledge that could have saved lives’ (NBC News)