GOP Lawmakers Defend Trump After POTUS Admits He Downplayed the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is among other Republicans weighing in after audio recordings were shared of President Donald Trump’s interview with journalist Bob Woodward.
Trump admitted during an interview with Woodward on March 19, “To be honest with you, I wanted to always play it down,” referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He continued, “I still like playing it down because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Amid the 18 interviews totaling nine hours with Woodward, Trump also admitted on February 17 to Woodward that the coronavirus is “deadly stuff.”
In response to the president’s remarks, Graham pushed back on the idea that Trump was wrong to have downplayed to coronavirus pandemic, according to The Daily Beast.
Graham told the publication, “The idea of the president saying we’re not all going to die seems smart to me.”
The South Carolina lawmaker also told CNN, “I don’t think he needs to go on TV and screaming we’re all going to die.”
“His actions of shutting the economy down were the right actions. I think the tone during that time sort of spoke for itself. People knew it was serious,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Listen to Trump admit that he intentionally downplayed COVID-19 in newly surfaced interview audio with Bob Woodward pic.twitter.com/hgrE3zskWL
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 9, 2020
Other Republican lawmakers also weighed on Trump admitting he downplayed the threat of the virus to avoid Americans panicking.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told CNN, “I’d argued since day one that we put this in proper perspective: I have not been in favor of these overall shutdowns, have been devastating to the economy, devastating to people’s health in other ways.”
“It’s been a difficult thing to manage, and I’ve tried not to be critical of any government officials having to make really tough decisions with imperfect information, that includes governors and the President,” Johnson continued. “So I understand what he’s saying. I don’t think it’s an illegitimate point to make.”
After saying he would like to see the “full context” of Trump’s remarks, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told the publication, “When you’re in a crisis situation, you have to inform people for their public health but you also don’t want to create hysteria.”
Trump defended his remarks when he said on Fox News’ “Hannity” Wednesday, “I’m the leader of the country, I can’t be jumping up and down and scaring people.”
“I don’t want to scare people,” the president continued. “I want people not to panic, and that’s exactly what I did.”
Woodward’s book “Rage” is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.
He wanted to pretend that the virus didn’t exist, so that the stock market and the economy and the voters would not get upset. Unfortunately for us all, he couldn’t wish his dream into being. Now we’ve got Lindsey Graham pretending Trump didn’t lie, that he was just being a strong leader. Is there nobody in the Republican party who won’t peddle his ass for Donald J. Trump?
NAZI TRAITOR Rephuhklican lawmakers are more useless and worthless than used tampons.
It’s straight up lying to the American people so they don’t fully understand the severity and make bad decisions as a result.
Furthermore, he understood the severity and how easily its transmitted yet still has not put together ANY national strategy, continues to remove liability to businesses who do not ensure worker safety, and even worse has been forcing schools to open in person by threatening their federal funding. By his own admission putting both teachers and students at risk.
He is disgusting and apparently thats a Republican trait now.
“People knew it was serious,” Lindsay Graham
Lindsay Graham is confused.
SOME people knew it was serious. A lot took guidance from a president who didn’t display ANY alarm or even wear a mask in public, to prove it.
The result? Soon to be 200,000 Americans dead on American soil under Dear Leader’s watch.