the first president who's a nonessential worker.

Yesterday, a tape dropped of an interview

he did with Bob Woodward back in February,

where he admitted that he purposefully downplayed

the risk of coronavirus.

I mean, we all know why--

it's 'cause he didn't want to spook his precious stock market.

(like Trump): Whoa, whoa.

Easy, girl, easy, girl.

It's okay, NASDAQ, everything's fine.

You just keep going up, girl.

Now, when normal people get caught on tape

admitting that they lied to an entire country,

they usually apologize.

But Donald Trump didn't become president by being normal,

so yesterday he doubled down.

Well, I think, if you said, "in order to reduce panic,"

perhaps that's so.

The fact is, I'm a cheerleader for this country,

I love our country, and I don't want people to be frightened,

I don't want to create panic, as you say,

and, uh, certainly, I'm not going to drive, uh...

this country or the world into a frenzy.

We want to show confidence. We want to show strength.

We want to show strength as a nation.

You're a cheerleader?

No, (bleep), you're not a cheerleader.

You're the coach!

When you see that your team is headed for a huge defeat,

you come up with some plays.

Right? You don't just stand on the sidelines,

waving pom-poms and saying everything's gonna be okay.

Look, Trump, just because you've spent a ton of time

in cheerleaders' changing rooms doesn't mean that you are one.

Look, I'm just saying, I've watched that Netflix show,

and Donald Trump would not make it on mat.

Cheerleaders are everything that the president is not.

They work as a team, they're disciplined,

and most importantly, they know how to spell words.

Now, the one upside

of being stuck in this psychotic relationship

with Trump for the last four years

is that by now, we've pretty much learned every pattern

that every Trump scandal takes.

Trump steps into shit,

and then Trump world comes out and explains

that he didn't actually step in shit, or it wasn't shit,

or, that if the coastal elites got out of their bubble,

they'd realize that stepping in shit

is the most American thing that you can do.

And this time is no different,

as Fox News, the only network whose subtitles are in all caps,

quickly rallied to Trump's corner to explain

why lying to America about a deadly pandemic

was the right move all along.

The president was saying, "Don't fear."

He was calm, he was confident,

because he didn't want to create a panic.

I thought that was just fine and dandy.

I mean, you wouldn't... you're trying to run the country.

You're offering leadership.

When a doctor sees a spot on your X ray,

he doesn't run in and say...

and say, "My, God, you have cancer! You're going to die!"

He says, "Hold on a second. This could be dense tissue.

We want to look at it again."

Think about it. Uh, during the Depression,

it was FDR who had his fireside chats to calm America.

You look at something that President Obama tweeted out

on March 4, and he had the same message as President Trump

about "calm down."

He said, "Protect yourself and your community

"from coronavirus with common sense precautions:

"wash your hands, stay home when sick

"and listen to the @CDCgov and local health authorities.

Let's stay calm." Sound familiar?

"Listen to the experts, and follow the science."

Uh, okay, guys... that Obama tweet

isn't proving what you actually think it's proving.

It's actually an example of how a president

can keep people calm whilst also being realistic

about the dangers they face.

The problem with Trump's admission to Bob Woodward

isn't the fact that he tried to keep people calm, okay?

It's the "downplaying the virus" part.

As crazy as it may seem, lots of people in America

actually believe the things that President Trump says.

So when Trump comes out and declares that the deep state

made up corona to ruin his birthday, they listen.

And as for that doctor analogy, Greg Gutfeld is correct.

When doctors see a spot on your X ray, they don't panic.

But they do get it checked out, because it might be serious.

They don't tell you that,

"You've got a spot on your X ray, but don't worry..."

(like Trump): One day it's gonna disappear just like a miracle.

All right, you want to do co-pay,

or you just want to do quid pro quo?

So by and large, Fox News took the position

that these Woodward tapes are nothing to be concerned about.

Now, who knows, maybe they're just trying

to not cause a panic.

But at least one Fox host seemed to realize

that Donald Trump's lie had done some real damage,

and so he took the bold step of placing the blame squarely

on someone else.

Of course, Bob Woodward's book

is exactly what you thought it would be.

What's surprising is that Donald Trump participated

in making the book.

The president sat for repeated interviews with Bob Woodward.

Why in the world would he do that?

Well, tonight, from the source who knows,

the answer to that mystery.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

It was Lindsey Graham who helped convince Donald Trump

to talk to Bob Woodward.

How'd that turn out?

Now, remember, Lindsey Graham is supposed to be a Republican,

so why would he do something like that?

You'd have to ask him.

But keep in mind that Lindsey Graham has opposed--

passionately opposed-- virtually every major policy initiative

that Donald Trump articulated when he first ran.

So maybe you already know the answer.

This...

is insane.

So Lindsey Graham has been pretending to be a Trump ally

this whole time?

Golfing with him? Confirming his judges?

Defending him during impeachment?

All so that four years later he could trick Trump

into doing a Bob Woodward interview?

And by the way, nobody forced Trump to do this interview

or say the things that he said.

So this master plan only works

if the guy you're plotting against

is dumb as shit.

How are we going to assassinate Caesar?

I have an idea.

Let's leave a bunch of knives in front of him,

and maybe he'll stab himself.

This is the problem with defending Trump at all costs.

Eventually, you're forced to invent

the most ridiculous conspiracy theories.

Lindsey Graham?

Lindsey Graham is one of Trump's most loyal allies.

But Tucker Carlson is out here making him sound like a resistor

who's hiding Black Lives Matter signs in his office.

You know, eventually...

you're gonna run out of people to blame.

Yeah, there'll be no one else to blame

other than, like, Trump voters.

I can't wait for the day when Tucker Carlson

comes on the air like: Trump didn't elect himself.

What kind of sick, twisted individual

would put this poor man in a position of power?

I think we all know the answer to that.

So look, I don't know if these recordings will hurt Trump

in the presidential election.

I mean, scandals slide off him

faster than his bronzer on a hot day.

But if his new campaign ad is any sign,

he's not taking any chances.

NARRATOR: There's a pandemic in America

of secret recordings.

For too long, ordinary Americans have lived in fear

of being taped by Bob Woodward,

Michael Cohen,

even Billy Bush.

BILLY BUSH: Yes! The Donald has scored!

(echoing laughter)

-♪ ♪ -But Donald Trump will put a stop to it.

In his second term, President Trump will outlaw all tapes,

delete all voice mails,

and destroy every microphone in the country.

(explosion)

In fact, let's ban taking notes, too.

Whatever happened to just remembering things?

Reelect Donald Trump,

because when that 3:00 a.m. phone call comes in,

you want to make sure it's not being tapped.

I'm Donald Trump, and I approve this message.

That's what I'll say to those idiots at the end of my ad.

-Hey, are you record... -(electronic feedback)