White House insists Trump has 'never' lied to public about Covid after sensational tapes released

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump’s top spokeswoman on Wednesday denied the president misled the American people about the threat posed by the coronavirus, saying he merely wanted to “express calm” even as he told journalist Bob Woodward he purposely downplayed its seriousness. “The president has never lied to the American public on Covid,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters, saying the president downplayed the virus publicly because “he doesn’t want to see chaos.” “His actions reflect that,” she said during a contentious briefing after excerpts of a new book by Woodward were published. Asked if the president lied to the American people, she shot back: “Absolutely not.” But he told Woodward in a recorded conversation, “I always wanted to play it down.” In the same conversation, the president was clear the virus moved through the air and was more deadly than the most “strenuous flus.” Moments later, she was asked if she denies that Mr Trump misled his country, she said: “Of course I deny that.” Ms McEnany denied, despite accounts of conversations with Woodward to the contrary, that Mr Trump intentionally downplayed the virus’s threat even though he appears to have admitted doing so to the longtime Washington Post journalist. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.” “This is deadly stuff," the president added in a private conversation at a time he was publicly saying the virus would somehow “disappear” and “go away.” Read more about what Mr Woodward reports Mr Trump told him in nearly 20 conversations here.