30 votes

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

18 comments

  1. [4]
    psi
    Link
    Wow, this quote is absolutely incredible. Features: ✓ Toxic Masculinity ✓ Disparaging the military ✓ Disregard for treaties ✓ Nonsense about trade deals It's just missing Trump's signature racism...

    Wow, this quote is absolutely incredible.

    "Not to mention my fucking generals are a bunch of pussies. They care more about their alliances than they do about trade deals." -Trump

    Features:

    ✓ Toxic Masculinity
    ✓ Disparaging the military
    ✓ Disregard for treaties
    ✓ Nonsense about trade deals

    It's just missing Trump's signature racism (plenty of that elsewhere in the article, though). Honestly, the headline understates just how batshit the entire article is. I can't even comprehend why Trump would say these things on the record to a Washington Post correspondent, or why Trump would let Woodward close enough to overhear these conversations (such as the quote above).

    17 votes
    1. [3]
      nothis
      Link Parent
      Now let's sit and watch how all this shit just trickles off him as water off a hydrophobic leaf.

      Now let's sit and watch how all this shit just trickles off him as water off a hydrophobic leaf.

      12 votes
      1. [2]
        Odysseus
        Link Parent
        I partly blame the media for this. Early on they sensationalized every semi-outrageous thing about Trump to the point where I reckon most people are at a place now that when they hear "Trump did...

        I partly blame the media for this. Early on they sensationalized every semi-outrageous thing about Trump to the point where I reckon most people are at a place now that when they hear "Trump did X" they glaze over like it's another school shooting.

        3 votes
        1. culturedleftfoot
          Link Parent
          While I agree they chose to cover a lot of fluff, IMO much of the media, particularly TV media, has been way too soft on Trump.

          While I agree they chose to cover a lot of fluff, IMO much of the media, particularly TV media, has been way too soft on Trump.

          5 votes
  2. [3]
    envy
    Link
    What is news to me, is Trump actually comprehended the severity of the situation, but strategically chose to not act on it. He incorrectly thought it was not his problem and wouldn't impact the...

    What is news to me, is Trump actually comprehended the severity of the situation, but strategically chose to not act on it.

    He incorrectly thought it was not his problem and wouldn't impact the one thing he cared about... his reelection.

    We already knew the president was briefed on the severity of COVID back in Jan/ Feb.

    Similar briefings inspired the Federal Reserve to roll out unprecedented rate cuts, and Richard Burr sold all his stocks.

    What surprised me is that Trump was intellectually capable of understanding the mechanics of the situation.

    Forbes quoted this:

    "You just breathe the air, and that's how it's passed," Trump told Woodward on February 7 in a recorded conversation. "And so that's a very tricky one… This is 5% versus 1% and less than 1%. You know? So, this is deadly stuff."

    I thought Tony Schwartz was over-reacting, when he called Trump a sociopath, I guess not.

    15 votes
    1. [2]
      kfwyre
      Link Parent
      With regards to your last point, I found this part of the Washington Post article to be deeply unsettling:

      With regards to your last point, I found this part of the Washington Post article to be deeply unsettling:

      Trump reflected on his relationships with authoritarian leaders generally, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “It’s funny, the relationships I have, the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them,” he told Woodward. “You know? Explain that to me someday, okay?”

      5 votes
      1. mono
        Link Parent
        Trump gets along with anyone (and I mean anyone) that strokes his hot air balloon of an ego. You could convince him to eat dirt if you told him he's the only person on Earth capable of such an...

        Trump gets along with anyone (and I mean anyone) that strokes his hot air balloon of an ego. You could convince him to eat dirt if you told him he's the only person on Earth capable of such an amazing feat, and he'd brag about it for the rest of his life.

        5 votes
  3. kfwyre
    Link
    It's not mentioned in the Washington Post article linked here, but CNN's coverage of the same thing has the following: In case anyone is interested in a quick timeline: Date Trump Quote March 19...

    It's not mentioned in the Washington Post article linked here, but CNN's coverage of the same thing has the following:

    By March 19, when Trump told Woodward he was purposely downplaying the dangers to avoid creating a panic, he also acknowledged the threat to young people. "Just today and yesterday, some startling facts came out. It's not just old, older. Young people too, plenty of young people," Trump said.

    Publicly, however, Trump has continued to insist just the opposite, saying as recently as August 5 that children were "almost immune."

    In case anyone is interested in a quick timeline:

    Date Trump Quote
    March 19 Just today and yesterday, some startling facts came out. It's not just old, older. Young people too, plenty of young people.
    May 28 Schools in our country should be opened ASAP. Much very good information now available.
    July 6 SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!
    July 6 Corrupt Joe Biden and the Democrats don’t want to open schools in the Fall for political reasons, not for health reasons! They think it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!
    July 8 I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!
    August 3 OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!!
    August 5 If you look at children, children are almost — I would almost say definitely — but almost immune from this disease. So few — they’ve gotten stronger. Hard to believe. I don’t know how you feel about it, but they have much stronger immune systems than we do, somehow, for this. And they don’t have a problem. They just don’t have a problem.
    11 votes
  4. [5]
    RapidEyeMovement
    (edited )
    Link
    This is a side note to this article. But ever since reading it WaPo article yesterday I have found the audio records of Trump saying these damning statements strangely powerful. More so than just...

    This is a side note to this article. But ever since reading it WaPo article yesterday I have found the audio records of Trump saying these damning statements strangely powerful. More so than just reading the words on the screen. That is worrying to me on multiple fronts.

    Does anyone know if there are more of these recordings posted anywhere?

    9 votes
    1. [4]
      Neverland
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I can’t listen to that voice anymore, so if you don’t mind.. on the tapes does he say “... to prevent panic.” ? Because as much as I’d like to lock that entire family up for life, “to prevent...

      I can’t listen to that voice anymore, so if you don’t mind.. on the tapes does he say “... to prevent panic.” ?

      Because as much as I’d like to lock that entire family up for life, “to prevent panic” plausibly excuses all kinds of horrible behavior by governments.

      Edit: to be clear, I just wanted to make sure there was not some convenient out for Trump come October Surprise time.

      3 votes
      1. mono
        Link Parent
        There's a massive difference between telling everyone to calmly exit a building that is on fire and telling them the fire will go out on its own, no caution or emergency services needed, while...

        There's a massive difference between telling everyone to calmly exit a building that is on fire and telling them the fire will go out on its own, no caution or emergency services needed, while secretly you know a bunch of people are about to burn to death.

        There's a massive difference between trying not to incite panic and committing/encouraging gross negligence.

        It is not a plausible excuse at all. And don't forget, Trump actively tries to incite panic over "radical socialist Democrats trying to destroy America" and all sorts of other BS all the time. When he says "to prevent panic," he means, "to prevent harm to my re-election."

        12 votes
      2. [2]
        RapidEyeMovement
        Link Parent
        No, that is not plausible at all. Listening to him speak brings in the power of his character. It gives the hidden mean and nuance that the written words leaves out. And hearing him say out loud,...

        No, that is not plausible at all.

        Listening to him speak brings in the power of his character. It gives the hidden mean and nuance that the written words leaves out. And hearing him say out loud, what everyone knows he knew, damns him way more.

        6 votes
  5. [5]
    Eabryt
    Link
    Hey good job Woodward, too bad you didn't release this back in February or March before 190k citizens died. Fuck Bob Woodward and his money grubbing life.

    Hey good job Woodward, too bad you didn't release this back in February or March before 190k citizens died.

    Fuck Bob Woodward and his money grubbing life.

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. Eabryt
        Link Parent
        I'm not saying release the book in March, I'm saying release the interview. What would have changed? I honestly don't know. Maybe there would have been 1% more people willing to wear a mask, maybe...

        B) Following your train of thought what exactly would have changed had this book been released in March?

        I'm not saying release the book in March, I'm saying release the interview. What would have changed? I honestly don't know. Maybe there would have been 1% more people willing to wear a mask, maybe not, but the president shouldn't be actively campaigning against the truth he's been briefed on.

        You're right, it doesn't contribute anything, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm also so sick and tired of this kind of news.

        9 votes
    2. psi
      Link Parent
      This take's too cynical for me. Suppose Woodward had released these recordings back in February/March. Then what? Would that have been the impetus for Trump to get his shit together? Trump's...

      This take's too cynical for me. Suppose Woodward had released these recordings back in February/March. Then what? Would that have been the impetus for Trump to get his shit together?

      Trump's terrible coronavirus response stems directly from his terrible leadership. He demands to be in the spotlight, but he's too lazy to put in the effort. Trump's attempt to minimize the pandemic isn't some masterful political move; it's the path of least effort, requiring no understanding of logistics, no understanding of Covid-19's epidemiology, no long-term planning -- all it requires is a propensity for dishonesty (and a disbelief in reality). If Woodward had exposed Trump then, Trump would've just denied the plain meaning of his words; and that's hardly speculation, given that's exactly what Trump's doing now.

      When the FBI builds a case against a suspect, they don't draft arrest warrants at the first possible opportunity. They follow the suspect for a bit, further building their case, then have the suspect arrested after they've gather more evidence. If Woodward had released the tapes back in February, there would've been no March recording, nor would there have been many of the other damning confessions. We can't change Trump. Instead we must call his lies and hope the electorate's savvy enough to listen.

      7 votes
    3. [2]
      nothis
      Link Parent
      I gotta say, I'm kinda burned out on Trump scandals but this is something else! Any good reason he would have waited this long?

      I gotta say, I'm kinda burned out on Trump scandals but this is something else! Any good reason he would have waited this long?

      2 votes
      1. Eabryt
        Link Parent
        Money. If you're a smart person you spin it that it's supposed to be extra ammo against getting Trump elected. But when it comes down to it, it's about Money.

        Money.

        If you're a smart person you spin it that it's supposed to be extra ammo against getting Trump elected. But when it comes down to it, it's about Money.

        3 votes