President Donald Trump fired back at the media late Tuesday, taking aim at reports about his weekend visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, and accusing the press of “scaring” the First Lady.
The president made an unscheduled trip to Walter Reed on Saturday. The White House claimed Sunday that he took advantage of a quiet weekend in his schedule to get part of his annual physical — a checkup and some bloodwork — done ahead of what will surely be a grueling start to 2020.
“Witnesses had earlier spotted the US leader leaving the White House shortly after 2pm. He was also carrying what looked like a tan rectangle-shaped folder or envelope under his arm,” the UK’s Express reported. “President Trump entered a black SUV outside the White House and the escort motorcade departed for Walter Reed. Upon arrival at the hospital, Secret Service’s heavily armed counter-assault team were seen taking up strategic positions.”
Media — and, in particular, health reporters — speculated that Trump’s visit was far from routine, and pointed to evidence from the President’s 2018 physical suggesting that he may be in the early stages of heart disease. One cardiologist even went so far as to tell CNN that he doubted the White House’s official story, and that he was “skeptical” the visit was simply the first half of a planned physical set to take place in the first quarter of next year.
Speaking before a cabinet meeting Tuesday, Politico reports, the President tried to head off speculation.
“I went for a physical. And I came back and my wife said, ‘Darling are you OK? … Oh they’re reporting you may have had a heart attack,’” Trump said, accorind to the Washington, D.C., based newsmagazine. “I said, ‘Why did I have a heart attack?’ ‘Because you went to Walter Reed Medical Center’ — that’s where we go when we get the physicals.”
“I was only there for a very short period of time, I went, did a very routine, just a piece of it, the rest takes place in January,” he added. “I got back home and I get greeted with the news that ‘We understand you had a heart attack!’”
“My wife said ‘darling, are you Ok? What’s wrong? Oh, they’re reporting that you may have had a heart attack,'” Trump continued, recalling his conversation with the First Lady, specifically. “I said, ‘Why did I have a heart attack?’ ‘Because you went to Walter Reed Medical Center.’”
“These people are sick. They’re sick,” Trump added, talking about the media. “The press really in this country is dangerous.”
Trump’s visit to Walter Reed wasn’t on his public schedule, and unlike his previous routine visits, the staff at the hospital wasn’t notified in advance that he would be appearing for tests. The White House also seemed unsure of what to say about the visit, backtracking from earlier claims that the President tried to get some parts of his 2020 health screen out of the way early, and calling the visit an “interim checkup” in statements made Monday, per CNN.
Trump’s personal physician, however, tried to put rumors to rest by assuring the media that Trump is in good physical condition in a memo released by the White House press office late Monday afternoon.