Former Homeland Security official explains why Trump’s ‘incompetence’ is to blame for thousands of deaths

Speaking with MSNBC's Nicole Wallace this Wednesday about President Trump's recorded statements to journalist Bob Woodward, former Homeland Security official Elizabeth Neuman says Trump's words to Woodward were "absolutely consistent" with his actions during her tenure with the department.

Neuman says she was relieved to hear the audio recording of Trump's comments so the public can directly hear his words as opposed to the spin put forth by the White House.

"Multiple people were ringing the alarm bells in January, saying we needed to lean in, we needed to activate the plans we had in place for 15 years, and to do so requires consistent communication to the public," Neuman said, adding that Trump's excuse for his initial downplaying of the coronavirus pandemic was "contradictory" to established government plans when it comes to a pandemic or any other kind of threat.

"It's so devastating how incompetent he is and he cannot continue to be our president," she added. "Too many lives have already been lost."

Watch the segment in two parts below: