CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins bemoaned President Donald Trump taking off his mask when he returned to the White House from Walter Reed Medical Center late on Monday only to have her past actions with masks called into question by the Trump campaign.
“Yeah and let us remind viewers now that the president is on steroids and a drug that fewer than 10 people outside of clinical trials have gotten inside the United States to deal with coronavirus,” Collins said. “He had a level of treatment and a level of care that most Americans would not get. That’s understandable, he is the president of the United States, obviously everyone expects that.”
“But what the president is portraying by taking his mask off when he gets back to the Truman balcony to give this grand return to the White House, is that everything is fine and, as he said, don’t let coronavirus control your life,” Collins continued.
“But that is very much still a president who has coronavirus,” Collins claimed. “Despite the lights and the flags and the staged entrance that the president wants to create, he still has coronavirus and he is only a few days into the diagnosis. And Erin today his doctor didn’t reveal a lot of information as he hasn’t for the past two days, but he did still say that he will not breathe a sigh of relief until Monday. That’s a full week from today.”
Collins then tweeted out the video clip with the following caption: “Only days into his diagnosis, the first thing President Trump does when he gets back to the White House is take his mask off.”
Only days into his diagnosis, the first thing President Trump does when he gets back to the White House is take his mask off. pic.twitter.com/kyqvHcSbIl
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 5, 2020
The Trump campaign quickly hit back at Collins, highlighting a video clip from earlier this year where she immediately took her mask off inside the White House press briefing room — an enclosed indoor space where other people were present — after she apparently thought the cameras had been turned off following the end of a news conference.
The campaign tweeted: “CNN reporters like Kaitlin Collins obsess over masks when the cameras are on, but when they think they’re off, off comes their masks!”
WATCH:
CNN reporters like Kaitlin Collins obsess over masks when the cameras are on, but when they think they’re off, off comes their masks!pic.twitter.com/IpPSvgDqhc
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 5, 2020
Here is some of the other responses that Collins’ tweet received:
Which is fine. No one is near him. https://t.co/aX584Xhs16
— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) October 5, 2020
You can dislike how Trump has handled the covid messaging and still acknowledge that he isn't endangering anyone by standing 100 ft. from everyone else outside. https://t.co/3rXMCSZZkb
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 5, 2020
What would you like him to do? Start crying like a little bitch so you can report that he’s …crying like a little bitch? He could have a hazmat suit on and you would report … he’s a fucking lunatic in a hazmat suit. You hate him. Just report that. https://t.co/ZSDOuP1Rg6
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) October 6, 2020
Is Kaitlyn literally shaking?? She trails only Acosta in the Desperation Olympics. #Thirsty 👇🏻 https://t.co/n3FRov9SL4
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) October 6, 2020
Are you truly this stupid? Do you see anyone else anywhere near him? Are you sleeping with your mask on? Wearing it alone in the bathroom? Are you showering with it? https://t.co/vyUyRACKNH
— Chris Barron 🇺🇸 (@ChrisRBarron) October 6, 2020
The closest human being to him is about 100 feet away.
Can you please stop pandering? https://t.co/VeEYfEK5sP
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) October 6, 2020
What are you? Like a mask nanny? Seriously. Stop. https://t.co/tbRcTWQ7BZ
— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) October 6, 2020
Upon returning to the White House, Trump released a short video statement on his Twitter account where he encouraged people to be positive and optimistic about the future.
“I just left Walter Reed Medical Center, and it’s really something very special — the doctors, the nurses, the first responders — and I learned so much about coronavirus” Trump said. “And one thing that’s for certain, don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it. You’re gonna beat it. We have the best medical equipment; we have the best medicines — all developed recently — and you’re gonna beat it.”
“We’re the greatest country in the world,” Trump continued. “We’re going back, we’re going back to work, we’re gonna be out front. As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there’s danger to it, but I had to do it. I stood out front; I led. Nobody that’s a leader would not do what I did, and I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger, but that’s okay. And now I’m better and maybe I’m immune, I don’t know.”
“But don’t let it dominate your lives,” Trump concluded. “Get out there, be careful. We have the best medicines in the world, and it all happened very shortly, and they’re all getting approved, and the vaccines are coming momentarily. Thank you very much — and Walter Reed, what a group of people. Thank you very much.”
This story has been updated to include additional information.