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Donald Trump briefly left the hospital in a car to greet supporters after doctors said he could be discharged Monday.
The president’s trip came shortly after he promised his followers “a surprise” in a video posted on Twitter.
“It has been a very interesting journey,” Trump said in the video.
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2020
“I learned a lot about COVID. I really learned it by going to school. This is the real school. This is not the school where we are going to read the books. And I understand it, and I understand it. And it’s very interesting. “
Hours earlier, Trump’s doctor said the president’s blood oxygen level suddenly dropped twice in recent days, but has “continued to improve” since then.
Dr. Sean Conley’s update added a new layer of confusion to the president’s fight with Covid-19, as he also suggested that Trump could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday.
Trump’s doctors, speaking on the steps of the military hospital where he was being treated for the third day in a row, declined to reveal the specific time the president lowered his oxygen or whether lung scans showed any damage.
Dr. Conley acknowledged that he was trying to minimize the severity of the president’s condition the day before.
“I was trying to reflect the optimistic attitude of the team, that the president, who has had his course of illness. I did not want to give any information that could divert the course of the disease in another direction, “said Dr. Conley. “And in doing so, it seemed like we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true. The fact is that he is doing very well. “
Dr. Conley said the president had a “high fever” and a blood oxygen level below 94% on Friday and during “another episode” on Saturday. He was evasive when asked if Trump’s level had dropped below 90%: “We don’t have any recording here on that.”
The level is currently 98%, Trump’s medical team said.
Trump offered his own assessment of his condition the night before in video from his hospital suite, saying he was beginning to feel better and hoped “to be back soon.”
And he returned to social media early Sunday morning, sharing a video of supporters waving flags, most without masks, gathered outside the medical center.
The shifting – and at times contradictory – accounts created a credibility crisis for the White House at a crucial time, with the president’s health and the nation’s leadership at stake.
Thank you very much! https://t.co/UL6P5lRjZI
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2020
Furthermore, the health of the president represents a national security concern of the utmost importance not only to the functions of the United States government, but also to countries around the world, friends and others.
Trump’s Democratic challenger Joe Biden took his strike ads off the air during Trump’s hospital stay, sending high-level aides on Sunday to deliver a largely friendly message.
“We sincerely hope that the president makes a very quick recovery and we can see him back in the election campaign very soon,” said Biden aide Symone Sanders.
She added: “This is a stark reminder that the virus is real.”
Biden was at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, Sunday with no plans for an in-person campaign or other public appearances.
After testing negative, he is expected to release the results of a new coronavirus test later, and the campaign has committed to releasing those results and all other future test results for the 77-year-old candidate.
On Saturday, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters outside the hospital, “We are not yet on a clear path to a full recovery.” In an update Saturday night, Trump’s chief physician expressed cautious optimism, but added that the president was “not out of the woods yet.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s handling of the pandemic and his own health faced new scrutiny.
His medical care is far superior to that of the average American, with 24-hour care and experimental treatments. In the hospital video, he defended his decision to continue campaigning and holding large events during a pandemic.
“I had no choice,” said Trump, who refused to comply with basic public health recommendations, including wearing masks. “I had to be at the front … I can’t be locked in an upstairs room and totally safe … As a leader, you have to face problems.”
Trump is 74 years old and clinically obese, putting him at higher risk for serious complications from a virus that has infected more than seven million people nationwide and killed more than 209,000 in the United States.
First lady Melania Trump remained in the White House to recover from her own attack with the virus.
The Trump administration has not been as transparent to the public during the pandemic, both about the president’s health and about the spread of the virus within the White House.
The first word that a close associate of Trump had been infected came from the media, not the White House. And aides have repeatedly refused to share basic health information, including a full account of the president’s symptoms, tests that have been performed and results.
Dr. Conley declined to say when Trump was last tested before it was confirmed he had Covid-19 on Thursday night. It initially suggested that Trump was 72 hours after diagnosis, which would mean he was confirmed infected on Wednesday. Dr. Conley later clarified that Trump was administered an accurate test for the virus on Thursday afternoon.
The White House has said that Trump was expected to remain in the hospital for “a few days” and that he would continue to work from his presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to fulfill his official duties.
On Saturday, Dr. Conley said Trump’s blood oxygen level was 96%, which is in the normal range. The two experimental drugs he has received, administered intravenously, have shown some promise against Covid-19.
He noted that in many cases, Covid-19 can become more dangerous as the body responds. “The first week of Covid, and in particular days seven to ten, are the most critical in determining the likely course of this disease,” he said.
At the same time, the White House has been working to track a series of new infections from Trump aides and close allies. The focus is in particular on the September 26 White House event in which Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court was introduced.
That day, Trump gathered more than 150 people in the Rose Garden, where they mingled, hugged and shook hands, overwhelmingly without masks. There were also several indoor receptions, where Trump’s Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett, his family, senators and others spent time in the enclosed spaces of the White House, photos show.
Among those who attended and now tested positive are: former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, the president of the University of Notre Dame and at least two Republican politicians. The president’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and the head of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, also tested positive, although they were not at the event.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that doctors treating the president must provide reliable information to the public.
She said: “We need to have confidence that what they are telling us about the condition of the president is real.”
His television interview aired before the president’s medical team held a press conference at the hospital where he is receiving treatment.
Pelosi said she is concerned that the information that doctors are passing on to the public “has to be approved by the president.” She added: “That’s not very scientific.”
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