The White House released two new photographs of President Donald Trump on Sunday evening that showed him continuing to conduct work during his stay at Walter Reed Medical Center.
“President Donald J. Trump participates in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md,” the White House said. “Not shown in the photo also in the room on the call is Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.”
EPIC! President Trump at Walter Reed showing all Americans what we already know – this man is a FIGHTER 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/7pjGcyh5ir
— Abigail Marone 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) October 5, 2020
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/y46BW7abEQ
— Abigail Marone 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) October 5, 2020
“We’re getting great reports from the doctors,” Trump said on Sunday afternoon. “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 the first responders, and what a group. I also think we’re going to pay a little surprise to some of the great patriots that we have out on the street. And they’ve been out there for a long time, and they’ve got Trump flags. And they love our country. So I’m not telling anybody, but you. But I’m about to make a little surprise visit.”
“So perhaps I’ll get there before you get to see me. But when I look at the enthusiasm, and we have enthusiasm like probably nobody’s ever had. Our people that love the job we’re doing,” Trump continued. “We have more enthusiasm than maybe anybody. So it’s been a very interesting journey. I learned a lot about COVID. I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school. This isn’t the ‘let’s read the book’ school. And I get it. And I understand it. And it’s a very interesting thing. And I’m going to be letting you know about it. In the meantime, we love the USA, and we love what’s happening. Thank you.”
Trump took a temporary trip outside to show support for those who had waited in support of the president outside of Walter Reed Medical Center.
Journalists exploded over Trump’s short drive with some claiming that he did not care about the safety of his Secret Service agents while others suggested that he should face criminal charges.
The White House Correspondents’ Association went a different direction and complained that journalists were taken with the president during the short trip.
“It is outrageous for the president to have left the hospital — even briefly — amid a health crisis without a protective pool present to ensure that the American people know where their president is and how he is doing,” WHCA President Zeke Miller said. “Now more than ever, the American public deserves independent coverage of the president so they can be reliably informed about his health.”
The White House later revealed in a statement that medical experts approved of the trip, deeming it to be safe.