Fox host on Trump's admission that he intentionally downplayed COVID-19: “I thought that was just fine and dandy”
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From the September 10, 2020, edition of Fox Business' Varney & Co.
STUART VARNEY (HOST): When I woke up this morning and I was looking at the papers and the headlines on TV, the first thing I see is, the president didn't want to panic the nation when the virus broke early this year. I thought that was just fine and dandy. I mean, you wouldn't -- you're trying to run the country. You're offering leadership. You don't want to panic everybody. I thought he did the right thing. What say you?
PETE HEGSETH (FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND CO-HOST): Of course! The last thing I want to see in the eyes, in the voice, or the actions of my military commander in combat is panic. Panic means I don't know what's going on and you should panic too. It creates panic for everybody else. What you need is a commander with a full understanding of the threat which he also clearly had but also the willingness to articulate it in a way that moves people in the right direction to make the right actions at the right time but doesn't panic people.
So, I actually think the Woodward thing, it's a 24-hour, you know, 36-hour hysteria, but it doesn't actually change the perception of people who appreciate -- there is a very stark choice here. You've got President Open Up The Country with Donald Trump or you've got President Mask Mandate who is going to keep things closed, what do you want in the future.