Confusion, Controversy and a Motorcade—Donald Trump’s Hospital Stay Draws the Ire of the Commentators

President Donald Trump will be released from the hospital later today, which probably cannot come soon enough as the president’s stay has been mired in controversy, confusion and a heavily criticized motorcade.

Last week, the nation learned that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID. Admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday morning, he is in stable condition. During his stay, the president has, at times, received oxygen, steroids, an anti-inflammatory and other medications and vitamins. But some of the information regarding the president’s treatment and medications has been confusing and controversial.

According to White House physician Dr. Sean Conley, the president took the steroid dexamethasone, which is usually only used in severe COVID cases and can have some serious side-effects.

On Saturday, there were also contradictory statements on the president’s condition, with physicians being optimistic and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows giving a bit of a dimmer view.

“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,” Meadows said.

When pushed about the contradictory reports, Dr. Conley explained, “I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude of the team [and] the president over the course of his illness. I didn’t want to give any info that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true.”

The confusion has given media and commentators space to speculate.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who was part of President Barack Obama’s administration, said, “He’s definitely sicker than they’ve let on. All day on Friday, they were underplaying resting comfortably, when he was actually feverish, fatigued, his oxygen saturation was going down, they had to put him on oxygen. You don’t jump to Remdesivir, which isn’t yet indicated for the supposed condition he had, and you don’t add in an experimental cocktail which hasn’t been even given an emergency use authorization, unless you’re really, really worried and things are much worse.”

Dr. Leana Wen, the former president of Planned Parenthood, wrote on Twitter, “The briefings by @realDonaldTrump’s physicians continue to be a deliberate exercise in obfuscation, insulting to the public and unbefitting the seriousness of the moment. We still don’t know answers to key Qs about his condition and when he was infected.”

That’s not Dr. Leana Wen’s only tweet. The physician, who was ousted from Planned Parenthood for wanting the organization to expand its medical offerings, has been highly critical of Trump and his medical team in recent days, especially after the president decided to take a short motorcade ride to thank supporters and well-wishers gathered outside the hospital.

She tweeted, “If @realDonaldTrump were my patient, in unstable condition + contagious illness, and he suddenly left the hospital to go for a car ride that endangers himself and others: I’d call security to restrain him then perform a psychiatric evaluation to examine his decision-making capacity.”

The tweet already has nearly half a million likes.

As a noted physician, she’s also arguing that there’s a strong possibility that President Trump may have pneumonia and stating that the press and public needs more information about the timeline of his disease.

Dr. James P. Phillips, who works at Walter Reed, had strong words for the president on Twitter about the motorcade.

“Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity…That presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.”

The hospitalization of any U.S. president is serious, and the nation should be in prayer for a speedy recovery regardless of party affiliation. Thankfully, the president is apparently on the mend and will be returning to the White House this evening. 

Photo from The White House

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