nprnews_____ = ||| lubuntu at wor1|||Trump Says He Prevented Panic On Pandemic. That's Not His Usual Approach||| kickerpage = |||no kicker pagenpr for NPRNEWS||| summarynpr = |||President Trump is known for wielding fear as a political weapon. But on the coronavirus, he says he wanted to "play it down."










President Trump defended downplaying the coronavirus as necessary to keep the nation calm after excerpts were released from Bob Woodward's new book "Rage."



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Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images











Trump Says He Prevented Panic On Pandemic. That's Not His Usual Approach






President Trump is known for wielding fear as a political weapon. But on the coronavirus, he says he wanted to "play it down."