Trump news: President defends ‘playing down’ coronavirus and avoids questions on whether lives could be saved after Bob Woodward revelations
A new book from journalist Bob Woodward revealed that Donald Trump knew the coronavirus pandemic was more serious than he was telling the public in a series of recorded interviews published by CNN.
Dr Anthony Fauci came to Mr Trump's defense, saying he didn't see any discrepancies between what the White House coronavirus taskforce was telling him in person and the message being shared in public.
But Mr Trump appeared to agree that he downplayed the seriousness, saying "perhaps that's so" when asked if he was trying to reduce a panic but that Mr Woodward's book was a "political hit job".
If it was a hit job, it got in a few direct hits at pointblank range, including claims a former defence secretary calling the president "dangerous" and "unfit" and cabinet members discussing taking "action" against him.
That press conference held by the president was to announce 20 additions to his list of potential Supreme Court justices for his second term, including three Republican senators Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley.
Not to be outdone, former fixer Michael Cohen made claims of his own that Trump will resign and have Mike Pence pardon him as a way to avoid criminal prosecution if he loses to Joe Biden in the upcoming election.
It wouldn't be the only strategy to fight the law with the Justice Department seeking to replace Mr Trump's private attorneys in a defamation lawsuit from E Jean Carroll, who has accused the president of raping her. Ms Carroll responded on social media, saying "BRING IT!"
The president might have thought his day would have ended on a more positive note after it began with a nomination for the Nobel Peace prize via the Norwegian government for what the White House called his 'peace through strength' foreign policy. That included the US confirming on Wednesday it would reduce the number of troops in Iraq from 5,200 down to 3,000 in the coming weeks.
Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load.
