Calm and candor

In 18 recorded interviews conducted in February and March, United States President Donald Trump told veteran journalist Bob Woodward that he was aware of how deadly the coronavirus was but that he was playing it down on purpose to avoid causing panic among the people.

Publicly, at around the same time, Mr. Trump likened the virus to the common flu, telling Americans it would magically disappear when the weather got warmer. Woodward, of course, is one of two journalists who broke ground by reporting on how a Richard Nixon-led White House knew about and covered up a break-in at the rival party’s headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. He has been the subject of an Academy Award-winning film. He has written numerous books on prominent figures. Woodward’s stature and credibility are likely why Mr. Trump, known for his narcissism, spoke with the journalist so candidly in the first place, even as he knew his words were going to be recorded. Now that he is being pilloried for lying to the American people—if he had not taken the virus’ threat so lightly in public, his followers would have taken greater precaution, and there would have been fewer cases and deaths—Mr. Trump is blaming Woodward for not exposing his revelations earlier if he thought they would be harmful. That the president has lied is no longer new. Mr. Trump has shown time and again his healthy disrespect for the truth, caring only whether something would be beneficial to him or not. The other question that this episode raises is this: During a crisis, should our leaders sound the alarm and inform the people of dire prospects, or should they act like cheerleaders, boosting people’s confidence and assuring them that everything will be all right? This betrays a simplistic, either-or way of thinking, one that has become too common among politicians and constituents alike. It also assumes that people are ignorant and do not have the capacity to gather information on their own, much less think for themselves outside of the trite lines fed them by those who control the narrative. The approach, then, is that it does not have to be one or the other. Leaders have the responsibility to be truthful during a crisis—especially during a crisis. People have to know the situation they are in and the prospects they face. Panic is a very real consequence, but it can be stemmed by a calm demeanor that comes from a fair appreciation of the facts and a sound plan, for the short and long term, on how to navigate the crisis. Such leadership would automatically inspire confidence and cooperation.