Trump’s Response to COVID-19 Relief Bill Causes Internet to Absolutely EXPLODE

Trump’s Response to COVID-19 Relief Bill Causes Internet to Absolutely EXPLODE

Trump says he would 'love' to donate his plasma after bout with COVID-19, declares he's off coronavirus medication



In his first on-camera interview since being diagnosed with COVID-19, President Donald Trump proclaimed that he is no longer taking coronavirus medication. Trump divulged details about his battle with COVID-19 during an interview and "medical evaluation" with Dr. Marc Siegel, a medical contributor to Fox News and associate professor of medicine at New York University since 1988.

During Siegel's interview with the president that aired on Friday's episode of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Trump gave an update on his health and said he is off coronavirus medication.

Siegel first asked Trump how he feels. "I feel really good. I feel very strong," Trump replied. "I know a lot of people that have had the COVID or the China virus as I call it because it came from China. But I feel really, really strong and a lot of people don't feel that way sometimes for awhile afterwards but are very good."

DR. SIEGEL: “How are you feeling now?”TRUMP: “I feel really good. I feel very strong.” https://t.co/dHiM6oYPcj
— Danny De Urbina (@Danny De Urbina)1602289508.0

Trump said he had either beat COVID-19 or the respiratory disease is in remission. "I haven't found out numbers or anything yet, but I have been retested and I know that I am at either of the bottom of the scale or free," Trump said

"Right now, I am medication free," Trump said during the interview. "I'm not taking any medications as of probably eight hours ago. I'm medication free which, frankly, makes me feel good. I don't like medication."

"We pretty much finished and now we'll see how things go," Trump continued. "Pretty much nothing. We've had our final doses of just about everything."

Trump praised the experimental coronavirus antibody treatment manufactured by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which he was given while he was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center.

"Actually, the original transfusion, that's supposed to last for about four months, you know that?" Trump said. "The antibodies? And I think you're supposed to be protected anywhere from two to four months and maybe longer than that, I don't know."

"They tested the lungs ... with different machinery ... and it tested good," Trump explained. "Initially, I think they had some congestion in there, but ultimately it tested good, and with each day it got better, and I think that's why they wanted me to stay frankly."

Siegel asked the president how he thought he contracted coronavirus, Trump answered, "I don't know. They had some big events at the White House and perhaps there."

"Nobody really knows for sure. Numerous people have contracted it, but, you know, people have contracted it all over the world," President Trump added. "It's highly contagious. That's one thing you learn. This is a contagious disease."

Trump told Siegel that he would "love" to donate his convalescent plasma to help other COVID-19 patients.

When asked by Siegel if he would donate his plasma, Trump responded, "I will. Nobody's asked me that question, actually, but I will. If that's if they want me to do it, I'd love to do it."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states:

"Convalescent refers to anyone recovering from a disease. Plasma is the yellow, liquid part of blood that contains antibodies. Antibodies are proteins made by the body in response to infections. Convalescent plasma from patients who have already recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may contain antibodies against COVID-19. Giving this convalescent plasma to hospitalized people currently fighting COVID-19 may help them recover."

In August, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for "investigational convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19."

On Thursday, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley gave Trump the green light to "return to public engagements" as soon as Saturday.

President Trump will hold an in-person event at the White House on Saturday, then return to the campaign trail with a rally in Florida on Monday, his first campaign event since he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to treat the virus.


Trump Is Back At The White House, Takes Off Mask, Media Goes Insane | DIRECT MESSAGE | RUBIN REPORT

Trump Is Back At The White House, Takes Off Mask, Media Goes Insane | DIRECT MESSAGE | RUBIN REPORT

President Trump surprises supporters outside Walter Reed; shares COVID-19 update: 'Great reports from the doctors'



Ever since President Donald Trump announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, advocates of the president gathered outside the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.

There were a handful of pro-Trump supporters on Friday night, then hundreds assembled on Saturday for a prayer rally for the president. Enthusiasts for the president were back out in front of Walter Reed on Sunday to provide encouragement for Trump as he battles the coronavirus. Trump thanked his followers for their support with an impromptu drive-by on Sunday.

A masked Trump waved to supporters and gave a thumbs-up from inside a black SUV as the president's caravan drove outside Walter Reed.

BREAKING: President @realDonaldTrump greets supporters outside of Walter Reed: https://t.co/2BSt2Xz2te
— Benny (@Benny)1601846669.0


That’s Trump driving by his supporters outside Walter Reed military hospital. https://t.co/eqA0RGkr6A
— Philip Crowther (@Philip Crowther)1601846401.0


President @realDonaldTrump just came out to thank his supporters in front of Walter Reed! Get well soon President T… https://t.co/d5ax8qQNYj
— Megan Powers (@Megan Powers)1601846729.0

"President Trump took a short, last-minute motorcade ride to wave to his supporters outside and has now returned to the Presidential Suite inside Walter Reed," deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement.

Only minutes before the president's drive-by, Trump posted a video on Twitter where he teased the "surprise visit" to the "great patriots out on the street."

"We're getting great reports from the doctors," Trump said while wearing an unbuttoned white dress shirt and navy blue suit. "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.

"It's been a very interesting journey, I learned a lot about COVID," Trump said in the video. "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.

"In the meantime, we love the U.S.A, and we love what's happening," the president concluded.

https://t.co/0Bm9W2u1x7
— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)1601846199.0

Trump's surprise visit happened hours after the president's team of doctors said the Trump could be discharged from Walter Reed as early as Monday as long as his condition continues to improve.

"If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course," Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a specialist in pulmonary critical care, said on Sunday.

Trump's physicians administered a dose of the steroid dexamethasone to him on Saturday.

Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley, Trump's physician, noted, "I'd like to reiterate how pleased we all are with the president's recovery."

President Trump could return to the White House as early as Monday if conditions continue to improve, doctors say



President Donald Trump could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as early as Monday, according to his doctors, but only if his condition "continued to improve." Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley, Trump's physician, provided a press briefing on Sunday to give an update on the president's health.

The president's blood oxygen levels dropped on Saturday to 93%, but the president did not feel short of breath and doctors determined that he did not require supplemental oxygen. To counter the situation, physicians administered a dose of the steroid dexamethasone. As of Sunday's press conference, Trump's blood oxygen levels were at 98%.

Trump did receive supplemental oxygen on Friday before he was transported to the medical center.

"As with any illness there are particular ups and downs over the course especially when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day," Conley said outside the medical center in Bethesda, Maryland. "I'd like to reiterate how pleased we all are with the president's recovery."

"The president wanted me to share how proud he is of the group, what an honor it is for him to be receiving his care here at Walter Reed and be surrounded by such incredible talent: academic leaders, department chairs, internationally renowned researchers and clinicians, including the support of Dr. Garibaldi from Johns Hopkins," Conley added.

Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a specialist in pulmonary critical care, said the president completed his second dose of Remdesivir and has not exhibited any side effects "that we can tell." Trump's team of doctors plan to keep the president on the medication over a five-day period.

"If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course," Garibaldi said on Sunday.

Dr. Sean Dooley, another member of the president's medical team, said on Sunday that the president is no longer complaining of shortness of breath.

"From a pulmonary standpoint, he remains on room air this morning, and is not complaining of shortness of breath, or other significant respiratory symptoms," Dooley said. "He is ambulating himself walking around the White House medical unit, without limitation or disability. Our continued monitoring of his cardiac, liver and kidney function demonstrates continued normal findings, or improving findings."

The team of doctors plan to have the president "out of bed" as much as possible on Sunday.

Late Saturday night, Conley said Trump was "not yet out of the woods," but the medical team was "cautiously optimistic."

Conley found himself in a wave of controversy after contradicting statements about the president's condition swirled on Saturday. Conley informed reporters that Trump was doing "very well" and that many of his coronavirus symptoms had gone away. Meanwhile, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said medical officials were "real concerned" about the president's condition before he was hospitalized.

Conley defended himself by saying, "I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude of the team, that the president, that his course of illness has had."

"I didn't want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn't necessarily true," Conley added.

"So, the chief and I work side by side, and I think his statement was misconstrued," Conley explained. "What he meant was that 24 hours ago, when he and I were checking on the president, that there was that momentary episode of the high fever and that temporary drop in the saturation, which prompted us to act expediently to move him up here. Fortunately, that was really a very transient, limited episode. A couple hours later he was back up. Mild again. I'm not going to speculate what that limited episode was about so early in the course but he's doing well."

Trump provided an update on his COVID-19 diagnosis and thanked everyone for the well-wishes in a four-minute video posted Saturday night.

"I came here, I wasn't feeling so well. I feel much better now," the president said. "We're working hard to get me back. I have to get all the way back because we still have to make America great again. We've done an awfully good job of that but we still have steps to go and I have to finish that job. I'll be back, I think, I'll be back soon."

Several other members of President Trump's orbit also tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, senior White House adviser Hope Hicks, campaign manager Bill Stepien, personal aide Nick Luna, and first lady Melania Trump.

Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) also tested positive for coronavirus.

40% of Democrats are 'happy' and 31% are 'excited' that President Trump diagnosed with COVID-19



There has been no shortage of leftist celebrities and pundits celebrating President Donald Trump being diagnosed with COVID-19. The usual cast of Trump-hating characters gleefully rejoiced in the president testing positive for the deadly coronavirus, including Kathy Griffin, Jimmy Kimmel, Bette Midler, and Rob Reiner. But being overjoyed that Trump tested positive isn't only for the rich and famous, Democratic voters were also cheering that the commander-in-chief contracted coronavirus.

A new Morning Consult/Politico poll of over 900 American registered voters found that 40% of Democrats were "somewhat" or "very" "happy" when they found out that the president tested positive for COVID-19. There were 31% of Democrats who were "somewhat" or "very" "excited" to hear about Trump's coronavirus diagnosis. There were 41% of Dems who were "indifferent" to the news of the president contracting the disease.

Republicans had a far more empathetic reaction to the news, with 55% of GOP voters "somewhat" or "very" "sad" about Trump testing positive for the virus. There were 51% of Republicans who were "somewhat" or "very" "worried" for the president.

There were 61% of Democrats who were "not too concerned" or "not concerned at all" about Trump's well-being, compared to 78% of Republicans who were "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about the president's health.

Of the respondents, 51% were satisfied with the amount of information they're getting on Trump's health.

Of the participants, 49% are "more worried" about the economy following Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, compared to only 6% who are "less worried."

Trump should address the nation about his positive COVID-19 diagnosis, say 68% of voters.

As far as the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett scheduled for Oct. 12, 57% of Republican voters say the hearings should not be delayed because of Trump's positive test. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Democrats say the hearings should be delayed.

Trump testing positive for COVID-19 didn't have much impact on voters' level of concern about the coronavirus pandemic. The survey found that 53% of U.S. adults said they were "very concerned" about coronavirus on Oct. 2, the same percentage as the Morning Consult poll from Sept. 25-27.

More than half, 53% of voters, say they are more inclined to wear a face mask and practice social distancing following Trump's positive coronavirus test.

Trump speaks message of hope after confusion surrounds his health: 'I'm going to beat this'



Contradictory statements about President Donald Trump's health triggered a wave of confusion over the president's health Saturday, leading many to believe Trump's condition was more serious than what was being said publicly.

But the president seemed to put any confusion to rest Saturday afternoon.

What are the details?

Shortly before noon Saturday, Dr. Sean Conley, the president's physician, briefed reporters outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Trump was taken Friday out of an abundance of caution. Conley told reporters that Trump was doing "very well" and that many of the COVID symptoms that he previously exhibited had already dissipated.

Chaos erupted minutes after the press conference when the White House pool reported comments from someone close to the White House contradicting what Conley had just told media.

The source reportedly said, "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. We're still not on a clear path to a full recovery."

BREAKING: “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critica… https://t.co/E8ZzwMjsA8
— Sara Cook (@Sara Cook)1601741317.0

The report came just minutes after White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was captured on video talking with the pool reporters, asking them to speak off the record.

UPDATE: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows… https://t.co/0FqChPOzGo
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivia Nuzzi)1601742463.0

Conley's press conference — during which he was accused of not answering reporters' questions directly — also sparked confusion.

More from Politico:

Conley and Trump's medical team also sent shockwaves through the White House and political landscape with their timeline of Trump's first positive coronavirus test. During the briefing, Conley said it had been 72 hours since Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19, suggesting Trump knew about his status on Wednesday, well before he revealed it overnight Thursday into Friday. That would mean Trump had gone on with his normal schedule, traveling and working in close proximity to aides and staffers, for well over a full day.

Yet again, though, the White House scrambled minutes after the briefing to clarify the timeline from the medical team. Another White House aide said the doctor had meant to say "day 3" instead of "72 hours," since Trump had been diagnosed Thursday night. Conley made the clarification official a few hours later, releasing what amounted to the fourth statement of the day from the White House.

What did Trump say?

Hours after the confusion began, Trump tweeted that he was "feeling well."

"Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them, are AMAZING!!!Tremendous progress has been made over the last 6 months in fighting this PLAGUE. With their help, I am feeling well!" Trump said.

Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions w… https://t.co/Dnso50a85R
— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)1601745578.0

Later in the day, Trump dictated a statement through Rudy Giuliani, the New York Post reported.

In that statement, Trump was upbeat and said he felt well enough to immediately leave the hospital.

"I feel I could get out of here right now. But they're telling me there can always be a backstep with this disease. But I feel I could go out and do a rally," Trump said. "I am the president of the United States. I can't lock myself in a room. … I had to confront [the virus] so the American people stopped being afraid of it so we could deal with it responsibly."

"We have made tremendous progress on treating this disease. Fatality rates are very low compared to [the beginning]," he continued.

"I'm going to beat this," Trump reportedly said. "Then I will be able to show people we can deal with this disease responsibly, but we shouldn't be afraid of it."

"If I had handled it any other way, I would have created more panic, more fear in the American people," Trump added. "We are making great progress on dealing with this disease and making better progress with the economy than anyone had the right to expect."

Chris Christie tests positive for COVID-19



Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced on Saturday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the latest in President Donald Trump's inner circle to test positive for the coronavirus.

"I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two," Christie wrote on Twitter. "I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition."

I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have rea… https://t.co/lrIZYMD40T
— Governor Christie (@Governor Christie)1601739423.0

"I want to thank all who have called and texted in the last few hours to check on my health. I feel fine and have no symptoms," Christie tweeted on Friday before he knew he tested positive. "I was last tested for COVID on Tuesday (it was neg) and was tested this morning. No results until tomorrow. I will let you know the results from here."

I want to thank all who have called and texted in the last few hours to check on my health. I feel fine and have no… https://t.co/XDs8tud15J
— Governor Christie (@Governor Christie)1601646570.0

The 58-year-old Christie is overweight, which "increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19," according to the CDC.

Last week, Christie interacted closely with Trump to help him prepare for the first presidential debate. On Friday, Christie admitted that none of the people involved with the debate prep were wearing face masks.

"No one was wearing masks in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time," Christie said. "And the group was about five or six people, in total."

Trump's debate prep team reportedly included Christie, Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani, Jason Miller, Mark Meadows, Jared Kushner, Kayleigh McEnany, and Alyssa Farah.

Hicks, a senior White House adviser, announced she had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Hours later, Trump and first lady Melania Trump announced that they had tested positive for coronavirus.

Former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway also announced that she had tested positive for the virus on Friday night, which was celebrated by liberals on social media. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien also tested positive.

Christie along with many of Trump's orbit attended the White House event celebrating the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court last Saturday. Christie was not wearing a mask at the Rose Garden event that was attended by more than 150 people.

Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who both attended the White House event and are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced they tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

On Saturday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) also announced that he too tested positive for the virus. He was not at the White House event last weekend.

Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The president was taken to the hospital for precautionary care, and he is receiving an experimental antibody treatment from Regeneron.