It is an interesting and potentially important ethical question. Given the timetable of events--where we were in the pandemic at the time Woodward gained the key information, as well as how entrenched the administration was in defending their spin--it seems doubtful to me that Woodward could have made a difference by scuttling the trust he was building with Trump to sound one more alarm.

It is my profound hope that he will be able to make a difference now. This truly is the smoking gun we've all been waiting for.