General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Bob Woodward sat on this audiotape for 7 months [View all]brush
(53,764 posts)trump on Feb. 7 about being acquitted in the impeachment hearings and was surprised trump wanted to talk about covid, which at that time was seen by most, including Woodward, as a problem in China. He listened and recorded trump talking about how he had just spoken with Xi Jinping who told him that it was very serious and spread through the air but it was under control.
Woodward didn't know, and trump didn't share, that there was also a national security meeting in late January where trump was also alerted that covid was spreading in China and it was dangerous and had potential to arrive here. It wasn't until later on in May when Woodward found out about the January meeting that he realized what he had in the Feb. 7 recording. It was then that he sped up work on the book so it could be published as soon as possible before the election.
It sounds plausible as most people in Feb. had heard vaguely about a virus in China. I myself had flown to Phoenix on the 4th and came back on the 7th, not concerned yet about flying or mask wearing or social distancing.