Tony's Diary Package — page 108

> USA April 12, 2020 (Easter Sunday) - Global - 1,800,000/110,000; USA 500,000/20,000. In general, early indications of leveling off. Print news (NY Times especially) writing multiple articles about howTrump was late to respond/slow to act even thugh he was given warnings by many people. I look good to neutral in the reports. Big article in New YorkTimes today by Eric Lipton, David Sanger, Maggie Haberman, Michael Sherar, Mark Mazzetti and Julian Barnes. I was spoofed last night on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Media buzz in my answer to Tapper's question whether lives would have been saved if we had shut down earlier. I said yes with a lot of qualifiers; however, the press is not reporting the qualifiers. Such is life..... PRESS: CNN State of the Union with Jake Tapper; MSNBC TV with Rev. Al Sharpton April 13, 2020 - Potential big problem (we shall see). NY Times reporting on an answer to a question that I gave on CNN yesterday (see above). Jake Tapper asked me if we had closed down earlier, whould that have saved lives. I said it is complicated; he persisted and I said obviously, if you close earlier there would have been lives saved, but the decision was complicated. I could have answered the question better and with more clarity, but the Times is now saying that I was implying that the POTUS was to blame for additional deaths according to me. The far right is tweeting to fire me. The POTUS even re-tweeted the tweet that said to fire me. We shall see how the day goes....... I called up Marc Short and explained that I was answering a hypothetical question and I told the truth. Marc was very supportive and said the POTUS was not upset and understood. I met with VP - he called me to his office 15 minutes befor the TF meeting and we discussed this. He was terrific. I said I was angry at having been put into this position, I am completely apolitical, and I am loyal to the people that I work with. I offered to explain to the press at the daily White House press conference. Right before I walked in, I huddled with the POTUS and told him what I would do. He was very relieved and grateful saying that his right wing base is causing a lot of trouble and he was total OK with me. I went out and explained that I was being hoest in my answer to Jake, but that I was not implying