October 3, 2020

A spate of White House statements about President Donald Trump’s health spurred a wave of confusion and criticism about his path ahead, when he was first diagnosed and the true severity of his symptoms.

The baffling back-and-forth began Saturday morning when Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, briefed the press outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where the 74-year-old president has been since Friday night. Conley proclaimed Trump was “doing very well,” that his fever had subsided, that his symptoms were improving and that he wasn’t receiving supplemental oxygen.

But only minutes after Conley left the microphone, the White House press pool reporter conveyed a statement from “a source familiar with the president’s health” that appeared to directly contradict the rosy portrait. “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care,” the statement said. “We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.” The remark was later revealed to have come from White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who was caught on camera after the briefing asking to speak with a handful of reporters away from the cameras.

Read more:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/03/trump-hospital-covid-health-425840