Greg Evans
Oct 05, 2020
Donald Trump has sparked horror and outrage after he left the hospital where he is being treated for coronavirus for a photo opportunity with his supporters that had gathered outside of the facility in Maryland.
The president is being cared for at the Walter Reed Medical Centre where he is battling Covid-19 and in a video he posted on Sunday night, where he looked a lot healthier, announcing that he was going to be treating his many supporters that had gathered outside of the building to a surprise.
The surprise turned out to be a drive-by photo-op where from the small confines of a secret service car, the president, wearing a face mask waved at his supporters much to their delight, including one man who could clearly be heard saying that he was 'willing to die for Trump.'
Listen to this audio. It’s a cult. https://t.co/gSZB4XRsA1— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1601849688
Despite wearing a face mask in the footage, the fact that Trump broke the self-isolation rules and put the secret service members also at risk of catching coronavirus.
There was a particularly damning response from Dr James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University and an attending physician at Walter Reed Medical Centre, who branded the president 'insane' and 'astoundingly irresponsible' in a scathing series of tweets.
Phillips also lamented that everyone else who was in the car with Trump will now have to isolate for 14 days at the risk that they might get sick all for 'political theatre.'
Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University school of medicine and health services, also lambasted Trump for the drive-by saying that he was putting the secret service agents at 'grave risk.'
By taking a joy ride outside Walter Reed the president is placing his Secret Service detail at grave risk. In the h… https://t.co/KIxIM3IhtK— Jonathan Reiner (@Jonathan Reiner) 1601847322
Journalist, Yasher Ali also shared texts from a former secret service agent on the issue.
A former USSS agent who was an agent on the presidential protection division and served under two presidents texts: https://t.co/Box0q96A7G— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@Yashar Ali 🐘) 1601850616
Elsewhere, the response was equally critical of the president for flouting the safety rules, potentially exposing the others to the virus all so he could drive around the block and wave to his fans, who shouldn't be gathered outside the hospital in the first place
Trump goes out of hospital for a drive by “fans”— A photo op to prove he’s well. And then he goes back to the hospi… https://t.co/XlwcKl2BYZ— Pam Kruger (@Pam Kruger) 1601847846
Trump risked the lives of the Secret Service personnel who were in the drive-by SUV with him. Lives risked for a pu… https://t.co/jQhQ5UAwaN— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1601852740
i suspect this drive through is going to haunt Trump. not because he needlessly exposed a lot of people but because… https://t.co/EPnO7SIYU2— Josh Marshall (@Josh Marshall) 1601856374
trump, clearly infected with covid, decides to expose his staff, driver and security detail to it by taking a short… https://t.co/68Y1YQNRsk— Sam Stein (@Sam Stein) 1601846832
Poor secret service https://t.co/VyAiRNVrkT— Diego Lopez (@Diego Lopez) 1601851216
I would like to point out that Our Cartoon President predicted the COVID parade https://t.co/a7eYvmJMBj— Acyn (@Acyn) 1601849882
This is North Korea level propaganda. Here is Trump doing a drive by and waving at his supporters outside Walter R… https://t.co/jD30ChPy6w— Minh Ngo (@Minh Ngo) 1601847033
REALITY SHOW 101 - Trump leaves hospital briefly to greet supporters outside BLAME MARK BURNETT… https://t.co/nSHxK3wJto— ROSIE (@ROSIE) 1601850108
sending my best wishes to the Secret Service agent driving the active Covid patient in a car with the windows rolle… https://t.co/8Cn8xi1Fm9— Rosie Gray (@Rosie Gray) 1601846588
My thoughts are with the secret service agents and their families. They should never have been put in harms for a… https://t.co/rbgd22VQt2— Valerie Jarrett (@Valerie Jarrett) 1601851411
However, the stunt only seemed to delight his supporters, which shows that he clearly knows what his fans want no matter the amount of danger that he might be putting others in.
Gotta love our President! A bad patient, but a great leader #MAGA #AmericaFirst #Dobbs https://t.co/PR2LrGBEhf— Lou Dobbs (@Lou Dobbs) 1601857482
Trump debunked 72 hours of media hoaxes with a simple drive by. 🤠— Cernovich (@Cernovich) 1601846922
President Trump does a drive by to see all the supporters outside Walter Reed! I love this so much ❤️🇺🇸🥺 https://t.co/V4ui9dvr2Y— Abigail Marone 🇺🇸 (@Abigail Marone 🇺🇸) 1601846606
Because he is a LEADER who loves the people, you hysterical loser. Don't you LOVE how the brilliant… https://t.co/eM4yPa7Cf0— Michelle Malkin (@Michelle Malkin) 1601848456
Trump left Walter Reed to do a drive by parade for supporters gathered outside. That’s MY President! 👏🏻— Ryan Fournier (@Ryan Fournier) 1601847324
There have been mixed reports as to how well Trump is coping with Covid-19. Dr. Sean Conley told reporters on Sunday that the president is now fever free and hasn't been complaining of a shortness of breath since Friday. Dr Brian Garibaldi, a pulmonary specialist, added that the president could potentially leave the facility by Monday:
If he continues to look and feel as good as he does today, our hope is we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course.
Conley did admit that Trump's oxygen levels had dropped before he was sent to the hospital on Friday which caused some alarm amongst his members of staff.
Photo op or no photo op, almost everyone is united in the hope that the president will make a speedy recovery.
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