By Aaron Miller
A confident sounding Donald Trump today announced he is leaving the military hospital where he has been treated for Covid-19, playing down the impact of the virus by telling the world not to be afraid of Covid-19. His words were intended to crush those who have ridiculed him for undermining a virus that has reportedly killed 209,000 Americans.
The president’s expected return comes as the scale of the outbreak within the White House continues to be unravelled after Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had tested positive for the virus on Monday morning and was entering quarantine.
At the age of 74, the president was sending a message to Americans that if at his age, especially belonging to the high risk group, he can beat the virus, then there is nothing to fear. American families who have lost loved ones to the virus would be far from impressed, but Trump’s supporters will be encouraged.
The US president tweeted: “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 PM.” (11.30pm UK time).
“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” he added.
“We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago”. Trump is expected to make the journey aboard the presidential helicopter, Marine One.
Dr Sean Conley, the president’s personal doctor, said Mr Trump was “back”, but doctors also confirmed he had been given extra oxygen twice.
Recommendations from The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is for those with mild to moderate symptoms should isolate for at least 10 days, but we how much self-isolation the president does.
Doctors revealed on Sunday that his blood oxygen level had dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick.
A White House spokesman said it “was cleared by the medical team as safe to do” and that precautions were taken.
Many well wishers of the president had camped outside the hospital where the president was admitted, but many of his enemies cruelly celebrated the fact he had contracted the virus. Many people who have had the deadly virus often suffer long term complications, but after a revelation from the president’s niece today that he finds illness unacceptable, he will be trying to apply mind over matter to fully recover from the virus.
The president is only a month away from the presidential elections, and will not be conducting any public rallies anytime soon. It would be an easy bet that the president will conduct some of his campaign from his tweeter handle, which will typically be monitored by both the press and the public on a daily basis.