Better than anyone · First term · № 37

Nobody knows more

Knew South Korea better than anybody; put Seoul at 38 million

“I know South Korea better than anybody. It's a—very tight. Do you know how many people are in Seoul? Do you know how big the city of Seoul is?”

Said

March 30, 2020, White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing

Subject

South Korea

Topic

COVID-19

Era

First term

What the record showed

Asked why the U.S. was testing fewer people per capita than South Korea, he answered his own question: "Thirty-eight million people. That's bigger than anything we have." Seoul's population is about 10 million according to the city government, so the figure was off by roughly 28 million.

Sources

1. Remarks at a White House Coronavirus Task Force Press Briefing The American Presidency Project, Mar 30, 2020
2. Trump tried to flex by asking a reporter about the population of Seoul. Then he got it wrong by 28 million. Business Insider, Mar 30, 2020