October 4 Trump Covid-19 news

Many of President Trump's aides or contacts who have recently tested positive for Covid-19 attended the White House festivities honoring Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on September 26, in the Rose Garden.

At least seven people attending the event, including the President and first lady, have tested positive. University of Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins, former counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway and Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who were seated relatively close to each other, tested positive.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also tested positive and checked himself into the hospital Saturday as a precautionary measure, because he has asthma.

Conway, Christie, Trump's senior adviser Hope Hicks and his campaign manager Bill Stepien — who have all tested positive — were also all involved in debate prep ahead of Trump's Tuesday clash with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Trump did not address anyone else's diagnosis during a video message from Walter Reed Saturday.

As he praised the medical care he had received at Walter Reed, he sought to spin his hospitalization to his advantage by making it sound like his diagnosis had been inevitable, even though he took few precautions to prevent it.

Read more here.

A non-military attending physician at Walter Reed National Medical Center harshly criticized President Trump’s motorcade photo op as something which could endanger lives of Secret Service agents who accompanied him in his SUV.

Phillips has been an attending physician for almost three years at Walter Reed medical center and is also a board certified emergency medicine physician and assistant professor at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

“That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 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,” Phillips tweeted. 

The White House released a statement this evening saying that "appropriate precautions" were taken for Trump's motorcade and that the movement "was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.”

Speaking with CNN's Wolf Blitzer this evening, Phillips, who has not participated in the care of the President, went on to say it was unlikely the President's motorcade had been approved by medical professionals without outside political influence.

"That's not standard practice by any means and I have a hard time believing that without undo influence, based on their chain of command, that those physicians would have cleared that," he said of the President's motorcade.

"When we take care of patients in the emergency department, or in the thousands of hours I've spent in the inpatient wards and surgery and medicine and ICU, we don't let the patients leave the hospital when they're sick, unless they sign out against medical advice," he added. "...The idea that this would be cleared without any medical indication is absurd."

See his tweets:

Watch Phillips' interview on CNN:

Asked what protocols were used to protect the safety of others in the hospital, the driver, security and additional people involved in tonight’s drive-by with President Trump outside of Walter Reed medical center, as well as whether the President’s doctors cleared the decision, White House spokesman Judd Deere told the pooler: 

Deere did not answer additional questions, including whether the drive-by happened at the President’s request, whether Trump met with anyone in person today, or why the pool wasn’t notified and called back. 

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tested negative for Covid-19 today, his campaign said.

No additional details were given. No follow up questions from the pool were answered. 

Some more on this: Biden will be tested more frequently for Covid-19 and intends to move forward with in-person campaigning, following news that President Trump and several individuals in his orbit testing positive, sources told CNN.

The Democratic nominee will receive a test each time he travels, a source familiar with the Democratic nominee's testing said.

His campaign said Saturday that it would disclose the results of every test Biden takes.

Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller defended President Trump's decision to leave Walter Reed medical center and take a short drive to wave to his supporters outside the hospital, saying on CNN Newsroom tonight that he was "feeling very good yesterday" and "he's feeling even better today."

Pressed by CNN's Ana Cabrera on whether it was careless for the President to put his Secret Service detail at risk by forcing them to ride in the car with a Covid-19 positive patient, Miller said Trump "in a safe way he drove by and said hi."

"He did that in front of the cameras so the media was able to see it," Miller added.

The campaign adviser claimed the moment was not "a stunt at all."

Here is part of the on air exchange:

Miller also in defending Trump's decision, said the Secret Service takes "great care of their agents" and "always take extra precaution."

"I'm not part of White House operations or the White House medical unit. So the exact logistics I can't speak to, but I know the Secret Service takes this very seriously. I think it was great that President Trump was able to get out there and show he's ready to take this virus head on. You can't stay locked up, whether it be in the attic or in the basement, or whatever. We need to go out and lead," Miller said.

Trump's diagnosis also doesn't seem to have changed his campaign's understanding of the risks their events have posed to their supporters. Miller told CNN the campaign will continue to take temperatures and give out hand sanitizer and masks as supporters enter rallies, but he did not detail any other changes like requiring attendees to wear those masks.

Watch the exchange:

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, has “significantly improved” with only lingering symptoms of loss of taste and smell, according to his press secretary Adam Webb.

Tillis tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

After White House Director of Strategic Communication Alyssa Farah said earlier today that the White House would be releasing numbers of West Wing staffers who have tested positive for coronavirus, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said they would not, citing privacy concerns. 

She also would not answer when repeatedly pressed whether Trump was tested before the presidential debate or on Wednesday, saying she wouldn't give a "time stamped" readout of his testing schedule.

McEnany only said that he first tested positive on Thursday after he had returned from Bedminster, New Jersey.

McEnany then abruptly ended the briefing and would not answer questions on the President's motorcade trip outside Walter Reed medical center.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the national security team which briefed President Trump today made sure that the President, who received the briefing from Walter Reed medical center because he is sick with Covid-19, was up to speed on a wide range of national security issues.

“I’ve been working for this President for almost four years,” Pompeo said. “This is a team that is mature and capable. We are fully prepared for all of the possibilities that may take place.”

When Pompeo said the Trump national security team is prepared for all possibilities, it is unclear if he was referencing possibilities related to Trump’s health or possibilities related to national security issues.

Pompeo would also not say which precise national security issue was discussed, but said he got some guidance for his trip to Japan to meet with Australian, Japanese and Indian leaders.

Pompeo described Trump as being in a “great mood” on the phone today.

“He was direct and candid with me as he always is,” Pompeo said.

Some more context: Pompeo’s trip to Asia – which is now only a trip to Japan – was cut short after the news broke that Trump had tested positive for Covid-19, as Pompeo was initially supposed to also visit South Korea and Mongolia. 

Pompeo said he has talked to about half a dozen world leaders over the last few days who have said that they hope Trump will get well and “get well and get healthy.”

CNN reported earlier in the day, however, that the State Department was told that the White House is taking the lead on calls with foreign leaders about Trump’s health, and it is unclear who at the White House is making those calls.

The president of the White House Correspondents Association, Zeke Miller, denounced President Trump in a statement for his boarding his motorcade for a photo op around the Walter Reed National Medical Hospital without the protective travel pool which is supposed to accompany the President whenever he is out of the White House.

Read the statement:

Some context: The White House press pool was not notified about Trump’s movement outside of Walter Reed medical center, according to the latest pool report.

There was a travel photo lid issued by the White House earlier today, indicating the President would not be seen in public.

It is highly irregular for the press pool not to accompany the President during a movement. 

Watch CNN coverage here: