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– There have been many rumors, but total lack of information from above. [ …] No one can trust what they hear, because what is said in public does not seem to make sense.
This was stated by an anonymous source at the top of the White House system to journalist Jonathan Swan, who writes for the Axios website.
In the article, Swan describes the situation inside the White House after it became clear that Donald Trump was infected with the coronavirus.
Among other things, it has not been revealed why Donald Trump attended an event in New Jersey on Thursday, after it became clear that his close adviser Hope Hicks had been diagnosed with the infection.
Total confusion about the condition
It is not only within the White House that confusion has been created about the president’s health.
On Saturday, Trump’s doctor, Sean Conely, held a press conference to update the press on how the president is doing.
– This morning the president is very well, said the doctor, who also stated that Trump did not need oxygen and even felt ready to go home.
However, it was not entirely clear whether Trump had needed an oxygen supply for a period after he was diagnosed with the infection. To repeated questions from journalists about this, Conely consistently replied that Trump is currently not receiving oxygen.
The confusion became even stronger when an anonymous source “with knowledge of the president’s state of health” shortly after the press conference claimed that the condition was worse than expressed during the press conference.
“The state of the president during the last 24 hours has been very worrying and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of attention. We are not yet on the way to a full recovery,” the statement read.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Norwegian time, the AP news agency quoted an anonymous source that Trump received an oxygen supply at the White House on Friday, before being sent to the hospital.
The chief of staff was the source
When it turned out later that it was White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows who was the origin of the plot over Trump’s health, the confusion was total.
However, on Saturday night, Meadows tried to make up for the damage and appeared on the news program “Justice with Judge Jeanine” on Fox News. There, she claimed that Trump’s health had deteriorated on Friday, before the president was sent to the hospital.
However, Meadows claimed that Trump had shown signs of improvement and was optimistic on behalf of the president.
– I wear a mask when I need it
That’s what Trump said during the presidential debate. You are now infected with corona.
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In retrospect, Trump posted a video on Twitter thanking the doctors and nurses who have cared for him since he entered.
– I came here and I didn’t feel so good. I feel much better now and we are working hard to recover, says Trump in the video.
That same night, the White House sent photos to the press of Trump working from the hospital.
Tradition of secrecy
The president’s health has long been a contentious topic in the United States, even before Donald Trump was installed. Historian Hans Olav Lahlum cites a number of examples of how the health of sitting presidents was kept hidden from the public.
– As usual in such a context, in a way it has had the whole scale. They have had completely unwarranted rumors about the president’s health, and have seen serious health problems that only came to light in hindsight, he tells DN.
He cites Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was president from 1933 until his death in 1945, as the best example of the latter.
– He was in very poor health all the time, and it was barely mentioned that he was in a wheelchair. He produced a new health certificate in 1944, which must be said to be questionable. It is said that in internal circles there were many who estimated that it would not be long before the vice president had to take office.
Historian Hans Olav Lahlum says it is not uncommon for information about the president’s health to remain hidden. (Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB)
After Roosevelt’s death, it became clear that his health condition had been far worse than the public knew.
Another example is President Grover Cleveland, who was president for two terms in the late 1800s, Lahlum says.
– He had a cancer operation while he was president. This treatment was carried out in secret and at sea, because it was feared that it would affect the stock markets.
The operation took place on a yacht in 1893. Journalist Matthew Alego described the incident in the 2011 book “The President is a Sick Man.” In the book, Alego writes that the operation became known after journalist EJ Edwards confirmed the story by one of the Cleveland doctors.
Cleveland himself, however, strongly denied that it had happened, and Edwards was discredited as a journalist. However, 24 years after the operation, the story was confirmed.
Joe Biden on wearing face masks: – It’s not about freedom!
But Joe Biden refuses to attack Trump, sick at heart.
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Lahlum thinks it’s difficult to conclude how open Trump has been about his own infection, as they don’t have all the facts on the table yet. However, it does make a comparison with when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was diagnosed with the infection in March this year.
– I have perceived it in such a way that in the Boris Johnson situation one has been more open. What you get now is some scattered glimpses and conflicting information has emerged. It is not entirely clear who will speak and what is being said is mixed, says Lahlum.
– In the situation with Boris Johnson, they were quite open about the fact that at one point it was bad and there was little conflicting information that came out.
– unprofessional
Political scientist and professor Janne Haaland Matlary believes that Trump’s corona infection could have consequences for the election campaign. (Photo: Luca Kleve-Ruud)
Political science professor Janne Haaland Matlary thinks the communication about Trump’s health seems unprofessional, but she doesn’t think it is due to a political game.
– I don’t think it’s an attempt to paint something beautiful, but it is surprising and unprofessionally handled, he says.
– Do you think that Trump’s health situation will pose a risk to the security of the United States?
– In terms of security, it probably doesn’t matter much. If it’s Pence who’s intervening for a while, then I don’t see that it has any significant security significance. It will be much calmer waters, says Matlary.
Rather, he thinks that it is the electoral campaign that will possibly be harmed by Trump’s illness.
– It all depends on how well you do. If he recovers, he has somehow won the battle against the crown. If you get sicker, it will affect the election campaign and you will probably be in a bad position.(Terms)Copyright Dagens Næringsliv AS and / or our suppliers. We would like you to share our cases via a link, which leads directly to our pages. Copying or other use of all or part of the content may only be done with written permission or as permitted by law. For more terms, see here.
