Larry Hogan criticized the president’s initial downplaying of the threat. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Wednesday acknowledged President Donald Trump was wrong to downplay the threat posed by the coronavirus.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber, Hogan said there was “no question” it was a mistake for the president to repeatedly claim the virus was under control and would soon go away.
Trump has in the last few days changed his tune, however, and on Tuesday claimed he’d “always known” it was a pandemic. The coronavirus has now sickened more than 219,000 worldwide, including 9,400 in the U.S. Trump has been widely condemned for his falsehoods and failures to confront the pandemic earlier.
Hogan recalled warning about the situation more than a month ago, explaining how Maryland authorities had at first urged people to limit social contact in bars and restaurants. But that advice was ignored, Hogan said, and the state was forced to “actually shut them all down.”