CNN host John Berman panicked on Tuesday morning after a video aired that showed President Donald Trump taking his mask off after he returned to the White House yesterday.
“We’re looking at 210,000 Americans dead, we’re seeing a rise in new daily cases, and the president, in that sunset boulevard gesture, whipped his mask off in front of the American people on the nightly news last night,” CNN’s John Berman said. “So, as a doctor whose job it is —”
As Berman was talking, CNN aired the footage of the moment when Trump took his mask off at the White House, which led to Berman asking the footage to be removed from the air.
“You know, take it off,” Berman said. “Please, don’t even put it on the screen. Please take it off because that’s going to kill people.”
WATCH:
"Don't put it on the screen! That's going to KILL people!"
— CNN's John Berman frantically orders producer not to show Trump taking off mask.#tcot #Trump #TrumpCovid19 #MasksSaveLives #Masks @JohnBerman @NewDay pic.twitter.com/y9IOWOwnwK
— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) October 6, 2020
Trump returned to the White House on Monday evening after a brief stay at Walter Reed Medical Center following his COVID-19 diagnosis late last week.
At the White House, Trump encouraged Americans to be positive and not to live their lives in fear but to also be careful.
“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.”
“I went, I didn’t feel so good, and two days ago, I could have left two days, two days ago I felt great, like better than I have in a long time,” Trump continued. “I said just recently, ‘better than 20 years ago.’ Don’t let it dominate. Don’t let it take over your lives. Don’t let that happen.”
“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 article has been updated to include quotes from the president’s brief remarks to the public after returning to the White House last night.