Trump minimized the threat of the coronavirus to "not create panic", as he said in an interview with Bob Woodward | Video | CNN

President Donald Trump admitted that he knew that COVID-19 was very lethal and contagious, even weeks before the first victim in the United States died.

Still, he downplayed the threat in public.

This is one of the revelations that emerged in the series of interviews he gave to journalist Bob Woodward for his book "Rage."

Trump defended himself from criticism after the disclosure of the conversations - recorded with consent - saying that he should "have leadership" and that "the last thing you want is to create or show panic in the country."

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