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Donald Trump, US President
"I don't want people to be afraid. I don't want to panic."
After more than 196,000 deaths and more than 6.6 million infected people - Donald Trump finds himself forced to defend his corona strategy almost every day.
"And of course I'm not going to upset the country or the world."
"You would have liked me to yell around: People are dying! No, no - we did everything right."
The exposé book "Rage" by reporter legend Bob Woodward has put the president in distress: audio recordings to prove that Trump knew about the dangers of the coronavirus very early on determine the reporting.
Reporter
"Why did you lie to the American people? Why should we believe you now?" Donald Trump, US President "That is a terrible question - and a terrible expression. I wasn't lying."
That is certainly a matter of opinion.
A look back at crisis management - and what the president said:
February 7, 2020
Donald Trump US President
in conversation with Bob Woodward, February 7, 2020
"It's airborne, Bob. It's also more deadly than the flu. It's a lot more deadly: five percent instead of one or less than one percent. It's deadly stuff."
However, the public learns the following in February:
Donald Trump, US President
February 10, 2020
"Many believe that the heat will make the virus go away in April. Usually it will go away in April."
27th of February
2020
"It's like a miracle, at some point it will just go away."
February 28
2020
"I recently heard about a number that nobody knew about before. It shocked me. 35,000 people die from the flu ... up to 100,000 people die from it. So far, not a single person in the US is from the coronavirus died."
The next day the first patient dies in the USA.
On March 13, Donald Trump declared a national emergency, two days after the World Health Organization classified Covid-19 as a pandemic.
A few days later, Trump amazes with this statement:
Donald Trump, US President
March 17, 2020
"I always knew this was a real ... This is a pandemic. I already felt it was a pandemic before it was called a pandemic. You just had to change View countries. "
Two days later, Trump admits to Woodward that he is deliberately playing down the danger to the population.
Donald Trump US President
in conversation with Bob Woodward, March 19, 2020 "I always wanted to downplay that. I still downplay it because I don't want to panic."
Within a week, the number of infected people increased sevenfold.
The President is confident:
Donald Trump, US President
March 23, 2020
"I am proud to be your President, I can say that. We are full of hope as we look to the future. We are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel."
At the beginning of April: The number of confirmed infections in the USA has exceeded the 200,000 mark, and almost 7,000 people have died. Trump's main concern is the economy.
Donald Trump, US President
April 8th, 2020
"It would be nice to open up our country with a big bang again. We will certainly do that soon. If you look at the situation, I would say that we are ahead of schedule.
In turn, reporter Woodward learned the following in April:
Donald Trump US President
in conversation with Bob Woodward, April 13th, 2020 Trump: "It is a killer if it catches you. If you belong to the endangered, you have no chance. It will destroy you". Woodward: "It's a plague." Trump: "It's the plague."
Four days later, Trump announced an easing plan that the governors should decide independently.
Almost 40,000 people have died so far.
The president speculates about medically questionable healing methods:
Donald Trump, US President
April 22, 2020
"Well, let's say we irradiate the body, either with ultraviolet rays or just with a strong light. You
said no one has tried that - but we test it.
And then I see the disinfectants that kill the virus within a minute. And if we could find a way to inject that directly - a cleansing from the inside, so to speak. "
At the end of May, the number of people infected increased by a million.
Donald Trump is primarily thinking about his re-election.
Donald Trump, US President
June 6, 2020
"We are going to have a phenomenal next year. We are going to have great months before the November 3rd election. A very important date, a very important election."
With this in mind, the president will continue through the summer - with mass events, with no distance or mask requirement.
He already had something like an obituary for the pandemic in June:
Donald Trump, US President
June 20, 2020, via Twitter
"It was an interesting time, it was terrible, so many lives have been lost, we will never forget these incredible people. But they will not have died in vain. In our country it will go on and we will be stronger than ever. "
A last phone call with Woodward in August was about how the corona pandemic will affect the election.
Donald Trump, US President
in conversation with Bob Woodward, August 14, 2020 Trump: "Do you think the virus will become more important than the economy?" Woodward: "Yes, of course. But they are interdependent, as you know." Trump: "A little, yes." Woodward: "A little?" Trump: "Well, more than a little. But the economy is doing fine. Look, we're close to a new stock market record."
Almost 200,000 dead later, the election campaign continues undeterred into the decisive round.
Whether the president could have saved human lives with a different behavior seems to play little role, at least at his base.
