President Donald Trump has returned to the White House after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he had been receiving treatment for Covid-19 since Friday. He immediately took off his mask to pose for pictures before walking into the building.
The highly choreographed moment on the Truman Balcony on Monday evening came hours after Trump suggested online that the disease is not that serious a threat. White House physician Sean Conley said in a briefing with reporters after Trump tweeted that he was leaving the hospital that the president had "met or exceeded all standard hospital discharge criteria."
Meanwhile, Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said that Trump "let his guard down" on Covid-19, telling the Houston Chronicle's editorial board, "I think in his desire to try to demonstrate that we are somehow coming out of this and that the danger is not still with us — I think he got out over his skis."
For those reeling from Covid losses, Trump comes across as boastful, insensitive
Experience is supposed to be the best teacher, but the lessons of Covid-19 are lost on President Donald Trump.
That, in a nutshell, was the reaction of several still-grieving Americans a day after Trump was released from the hospital and declared, "Don't be afraid of Covid."
"Don’t let it dominate your life," Trump tweeted. "We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!"
Trump, battling Covid-19, says he's 'looking forward to' the next presidential debate
President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that he is "looking forward to" the second presidential debate even as he continues treatment this week for Covid-19.
"I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami," Trump wrote. "It will be great!"
The president is still battling his Covid-19 infection after first showing symptoms on Thursday, according to the White House. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say people should isolate for 10 days from the point of showing systems, and in severe cases, 20 days.
Asked whether the campaign will comply with testing requirements and any additional health measures for the debate in light of the president’s diagnosis, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh simply responded: "The president intends to participate in person."
Twitter slaps warning label on misleading Trump tweet, Facebook removes post
Twitter on Tuesday shielded Trump's tweet comparing Covid-19 to the flu, warning that post was "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information."
"This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19," Twitter said. "However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
Separately, Facebook deleted Trump's same comment on its platform.
Trump indicates he will participate in next week's debate
Trump compares Covid to the flu. Experts say he's flat wrong.
In a comparison that is disputed by public health officials, President Trump on Tuesday likened the coronavirus to the seasonal flu and said we can learn to live with Covid-19.
"Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu," tweeted the president, who has Covid-19 and returned to the White House on Monday after three days in Walter Reed hospital for treatment. "Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!"
The number of deaths from the flu cited by Trump is misleading and in recent years has been far fewer. Meanwhile, the U.S. surpassed 210,000 deaths from Covid-19 this week and some models suggested there could be hundreds of thousands of additional deaths by the end of the year.
Doctors and public health experts rejected the president's comparison of the flu and Covid-19.
Trump military valet tests positive for Covid-19
A military valet who comes in contact with Trump tested positive for Covid-19 over the weekend, a person familiar with the matter tells NBC News.
McEnany says she isn't experiencing any symptoms after testing positive for the coronavirus
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that she has not experienced any symptoms after she revealed Monday that she has tested positive for Covid-19.
"I'm feeling great. I'm having no symptoms. You know, I'm very blessed to have a mild own case or really just an asymptomatic case," McEnany said in an interview on Fox News' "Hannity."
She added about Trump's return to the White House Monday in which he removed his mask when seen on the balcony, "I'm pleased to see that our commander in chief is doing well. Watching him on that balcony, just showing that we will overcome, America will overcome, just as he is, overcoming this illness, I think was a really nice moment for our country to see."
Two of McEnany's deputies — assistant press secretary Karoline Leavitt and principal assistant press secretary Chad Gilmartin — also contracted Covid-19 and are working from home, sources confirmed.
Majority still fears virus exposure as Trump says not to be 'afraid,' poll shows
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump tells Americans not to be "afraid" of Covid-19 or let it "dominate" their lives, a majority of Americans continue to worry that someone in their family will be exposed to the coronavirus, according to new data from the NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Tracking Poll.
Sixty-five percent of American adults say they are worried that someone in their family will be exposed to the virus (32 percent say they are very worried, while 33 percent say they are somewhat worried) in new results captured from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. Over that period, there were an average of 42,871 daily coronavirus cases and 692 daily deaths from the virus, according to NBC News' analysis.
That's a decline of only 5 percentage points since the first week of the poll, from June 29 through July 6, when a combined 70 percent said they were worried (36 percent were very worried, and 34 percent were somewhat worried). Over that week, for comparison, an average of 596 people died from the virus, and there was an average of 47,597 new daily cases.
Read full story here.
GOP senator says Trump 'let his guard down' on Covid-19
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said Monday that Trump "let his guard down" on Covid-19.
“I think he let his guard down, and I think in his desire to try to demonstrate that we are somehow coming out of this and that the danger is not still with us — I think he got out over his skis and frankly, I think it’s a lesson to all of us that we need to exercise self-discipline,” Cornyn told the Houston Chronicle's editorial board.
Cornyn's campaign confirmed the quotes to NBC News.
The senaor also told the Chronicle that Trump’s rhetoric at times "creates confusion."
"He tries to balance that with saying, 'Well you know, we got this.' And clearly we don’t have this," Cornyn added. "I think the biggest mistake people make in public life is not telling the truth, particularly in something with as much public interest as here because you know the real story is going to come out."
Three of Cornyn's GOP colleagues in the Senate have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past week.
Trump tweets from White House: 'Maybe I'm immune, I don't know'
Trump removes mask as he poses for photos at White House
Trump returns to White House after leaving hospital, sheds mask for photo opportunity
Trump returned to the White House on Monday evening after being treated for Covid-19 for three days at Walter Reed Medical Center— and immediately took off his mask to pose for pictures.
The highly choreographed moment on the Truman Balcony came hours after Trump suggested online that the disease is not that serious a threat.
Trump walked out of the hospital's main entrance shortly after 6:30 p.m. in a mask and a suit and tie and pumped his fist for the cameras before being driven to Marine One for the short trip back to the White House. He declined to answer questions from reporters.
At the White House, he went up the exterior stairs and posed in front of an array of flags on the balcony, where he immediately took off his mask. Trump kept the mask off even as he was greeted by mask-wearing White House staffers. He appeared to be shooting some sort of video.
Health experts say coronavirus patients should wear masks to avoid infecting others, and the president is still believed to be contagious.