The same question came up last year, when Woodward’s “Rage” made news for the author’s disclosure that Trump knew as early as February 2020 that the incipient coronavirus pandemic was “deadly” even as he publicly downplayed it. But critics questioned why Woodward — who learned this firsthand from his interviews with Trump in early 2020 — didn’t let the world know about this sooner. Woodward argued that his book’s mission was to present a more complete picture of Trump’s response to the pandemic. And that in addition, when Trump first shared his intel about the virus, he had no idea if Trump was telling the truth. (“Which is always a problem with Trump,” he said.)

Source: Washington Post July 17, 2021 10:52 UTC