President Donald Trump turned down assertions that he had actually minimized the spread of the unique coronavirus for weeks, stating Tuesday that he kept a rosy public outlook while working behind the scenes due to the fact that he felt the president required to be a “cheerleader” for the nation.

“The cases really didn’t build up for a while, but you have to understand, I’m a cheerleader for this country,” Trump stated throughout a day-to-day coronavirus instruction at the White House. “I don’t want to create havoc and shock and everything else. But ultimately, when I was saying that, I’m also closing it down. I obviously was concerned about it.”

Trump, asked by @benstracy about early declarations downplaying COVID-19: “You have to understand, I’m a cheerleader for this country. I don’t want to create havoc and shock…I’m not gonna go out and start screaming, ‘This could happen, this could happen'” https://t.co/ghcURZHxfk pic.twitter.com/w4jimA5jLo

— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 7,2020

Trump’s remarks followed CBS press reporter Ben Tracy inquired about memos composed by leading White House advisor Peter Navarro in January and February that consisted of bleak cautions associated with the coronavirus, stating it might cost the U.S. economy trillions of dollars and possibly eliminate or contaminate millions of Americans.

The memos distributed amongst the leading tiers of the Trump administration and came at the very same time the president was downplaying the risk of the infection, stating the nation had it “totally under control” which the break out would have “a very good ending.”

“The lack of immune protection or an existing cure or vaccine would leave Americans defenseless in the case of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on U.S. soil,” Navarro composed on Jan. 29, as first reported by The New york city Times. “This lack of protection elevates the risk of the coronavirus evolving into a full-blown pandemic, imperiling the lives of millions of Americans.”

Trump did limit travel from China on Jan. 31 and obstructed most take a trip from Europe on March11 He did not state a national emergency situation up until March 13 and has actually not released any national stay-at-home orders regardless of being prompted to do so by leading public health authorities. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading contagious illness professional, stated recently he didn’t comprehend why the U.S. wasn’t under such a required currently.

More than 396,000 people have actually now been contaminated in the nation and a minimum of 12,700 have actually passed away.

Tracy asked the president about his dismissive remarks as cases of COVID-19, the health problem brought on by the coronavirus, were first reported in the U.S. Trump declined to provide up ground, insisting his preliminary declarations were still precise.

“You were saying things like: ‘I think it’s a problem that’s going to go away,’” Tracy stated.

“Which I’m right about,” Trump inserted. “It will go away.”

The president later on added: “I’m not going to go out and start screaming, ‘This could happen, this could happen.’ So again, as president, I think a president has to be a cheerleader for their country, but at the same time I’m cheerleading I’m also closing down a very highly infected place, specifically the location, as you know, in China, that had the problems.”

“Those were big moves,” he stated.

The president likewise faulted the World Health Organization for its action to the coronavirus, which it stated a pandemic in early March after COVID-19 eliminated more than 4,000 people worldwide. Since he felt it had not done enough early on, Trump stated the U.S. would “put a hold” on moneying to the group.

“They called it wrong,” he declared on Tuesday. “They call it wrong. They really, they missed the call.”

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus

Calling all HuffPost superfans!

Register For membership to end up being an establishing member and aid shape HuffPost’s next chapter

The post Trump Defends His Weeks Downplaying Coronavirus: I’m A ‘Cheerleader’ appeared first on World Weekly News.