Donald Trump tweeted out a video message from Walter Reed hospital as he undergoes treatment for COVID-19, saying he felt his condition had improved over the past day but acknowledged he was not out of the woods yet.
“I came here. Wasn’t feeling so well. I feel much better now,” Trump said in the four-minute video clip, where he is sitting behind a desk wearing a blue jacket and a white dress shirt with the top button undone.
“We’re working hard to get me all the way back,” he continued. “I have to be back because we still have to make America great again.”
But Trump acknowledged that the coming days would be critical for his health.
“Over the next period of a few days, I guess that’s the real test,” he said. “So we’ll be seeing what happens over those next couple of days.”
Trump said he was given the option to isolate at the White House after testing positive for the virus and undergo treatment from the residence. But he suggested that doing so would have sent the wrong message.
“I can’t do that. I had to be out front, and this is America. This is the United States. This is the greatest country in the world. This is the most powerful country in the world,” Trump said. “I can’t be locked up in a room upstairs and totally safe and just say, ‘Hey, whatever happens, happens.’ I can’t do that. We have to confront problems. As a leader, you have to confront problems.”
Trump expressed his gratitude to the medical team at Walter Reed and to Americans and world leaders who have expressed condolences and sent their well wishes.
But you can’t deny it, Trump doesn’t look healthy. He looks pale, tired, and worn out. Which is of course understandable.
pic.twitter.com/gvIPuYtTZG [1]
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 3, 2020 [2]
Twitter had some thoughts:
The real danger period for COVID patients comes abt a week after diagnosis. But it's definitely reassuring to see him seemingly breathing without assistance, talking easily etc. So far so good. https://t.co/T0A0ZCWXFf [3]
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 3, 2020 [4]
Trump is lying, again. His chief of staff and others said his condition deteriorated yesterday and that's why he was admitted as a patient, not that he would have more freedom in a hospital https://t.co/eFGbcArdMe [5] https://t.co/KJX1KknjJA [6]
— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) October 3, 2020 [7]
"We have things happening that look like they're miracles coming down from God." https://t.co/Ubr9vsZbiw [8]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 3, 2020 [9]
Trump: “I’m fighting for them (people who have COVID)”
200K Americans were unavailable for comment… https://t.co/8eRo1BdS4G [10]
— Melissa Blake (@melissablake) October 3, 2020 [11]
Not one word of thanks for the kind words from the Bidens of course. Words he would never have uttered. https://t.co/ZQg3DrhCwS [12]
— digby (@digby56) October 3, 2020 [13]
Trump puts out new video where saying he could've stayed in White House but he didnt want to be locked up there so he…wait for it…choose the hospital. I know – makes no sense. No one who could stay home choses a hospital. So he must be getting better bc he's lying again https://t.co/blfxNFpsi9 [14]
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 3, 2020 [15]
If this calms anyone down, there's something wrong with them. He's a mess. https://t.co/OVCY120sGw [16]
— Willie Garson 🇺🇸 (@WillieGarson) October 3, 2020 [17]
Do you ever wonder what Trump's poll numbers would look like today if he had taken this tone the last four years and shown civility to others?
With this economy (pre-shutdowns) and a quicker, more empathetic COVID response I bet he wouldve been the favorite. https://t.co/Drh4vrm4Of [18]
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 3, 2020 [19]