"Trump downplayed severity of coronavirus"
It wasn't "Fox News" that said that.
It was Nancy Pelosi.
No, it was Donald Trump. Donald Trump said that. Do you know the definition of "downplay"? Here are some examples of downplaying:
January 22: Trump is asked about whether he is worried about coronavirus at the World Economic Forum: “No, not at all. We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control,” Trump told CNBC. “It’s going to be just fine.”
Feb 24: Trump tweets "The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA." (in fact there was very little control by any standard, testing, no, containment, no)
Feb 26: Trump says "“We’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So we’ve had very good luck. ... I think every aspect of our society should be prepared. I don't think it's going to come to that, especially with the fact that we're going down, not up. We're going very substantially down, not up[... and again, when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done." (lies)
Feb 26: Trump says the seasonal flu has a higher mortality rate. (a lie)
Feb 26: senior White House official Larry Kudlow claims ""We have contained this, I won't say airtight but pretty close to airtight." (a lie)
February 28th: During a rally in South Carolina, Trump alleges Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus, calling it “their new hoax.”
March 4th: In an interview with Sean Hannity, Trump calls the WHO’s estimate of the global death rate “false,” describes the coronavirus as “very mild,” and suggests that those infected can get better by “sitting around” and “going to work.”
March 6: Trump says "...I hear the numbers are getting much better in Italy." (they were not)
March 6: Trump says: "Anybody that wants a test can get a test. That's what the bottom line is." (not true)
Downplaying.
