News surfaced on Sunday that President Donald Trump wasn’t pleased with the reports on his medical condition being delivered by his chief of staff, Mark Meadows. So in 100% pure Trump fashion, he took matters into his own hands, making a surprise visit to his supporters gathered outside Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The mask-clad president had his motorcade drive by the throng of people, and he waved to them from inside the SUV he was riding in.
Trump had tweeted out a video announcing his visit roughly 10 minutes before he headed out. CNN broadcast the scene live, not knowing about the tweet, and speculated that Trump may be heading back to the White House and checking out of the hospital early.
Trump’s social media message left no gray area as to how he is feeling. “We’re getting great reports from the doctor. This is an incredible hospital. Walter Reed, the work they do is just absolutely amazing and I want to thank them all. The nurses, the doctors, everybody here. I’ve also gotten to meet some of the soldiers and first responders. What a group,” the president said.
Like most things the president has done in the past four years, his actions were met with robust amounts of both praise and scorn. His supporters loved the sight of what they assumed was a healthy Trump, while some members of the medical community, including Dr. James P. Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, thought it was a bad move. “Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity.”
Insanity? Strength? Like almost everything else in this divided country in 2020, it’s a matter of interpretation.
Add comment