Trump at town hall says he 'up played' severity of coronavirus, despite telling Woodward he 'wanted to always play it down'

PHILADELPHIA – President Donald Trump denied downplaying the threat from coronavirus, telling a town hall on Tuesday that he "up played it" despite his assertion in a recorded interview this year that he "wanted to always play it down."

Trump made the remarks during a 90-minute town hall hosted by ABC News in the must win battleground of Pennsylvania, an event that served as something of a preview for the presidential debates that are set to begin later this month.

"Well, I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up played it terms of action," Trump said in response to a question about an interview with journalist Bob Woodward in which he said he knew the coronavirus was more deadly and contagious than the flu but continued to compare the two so that people would not panic.