After just over three days of treatment for the virus that's killed over 200 thousand Americans, President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he'd be leaving Walter Reed Medical Center that evening.
After supplemental oxygen and a cocktail of powerful drugs, the President claimed that he was the best he'd felt in 20 years.
That night, Trump made a dramatic return to the White House, where he took off his mask upon ascending the balcony, despite still being infected with the virus and despite the hundreds of workers potentially exposed to it within the White House's walls.
Trump appeared to be struggling for air the whole time.
Trump looks like a goldfish that fell out of the fishbowl onto the floor, gasping for breath. pic.twitter.com/aO2GS79ZiL
— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) October 5, 2020
Trump appears to be wincing in pain while he breathes pic.twitter.com/YKhGhu0VN0
— Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) October 5, 2020
People began comparing Trump to the former Argentine First Lady, Eva "Evita" Peron.
Peron would frequently deliver addresses to an adoring crowd from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, the residence of the Argentine First Family.
This is most famously depicted in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita, which tracks the political icon's life until an ailing Peron greets her supporters from the balcony one final time before dying of cancer.
As the ailing Trump's photo-op outside of the White House continued, people couldn't ignore the historical parallels, however comical.
We've gone from stupid Watergate to stupid Evita.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) October 5, 2020
A CNN corespondent just called Trump “Covita" referring to his balcony photo op... I'm dying pic.twitter.com/FrbfGIpxDy
— Stone (@stonecold2050) October 6, 2020
Broadway legend Patti LuPone, who won a Tony for originating the role of Eva Peron on Broadway and remains a highly outspoken critic of Trump, clapped back at the comparisons.
I still have the lung power and I wore less makeup. This revival is closing November 3rd. pic.twitter.com/vRQ4LepACv
— Patti LuPone (@PattiLuPone) October 6, 2020
The response set Twitter on fire.
Ms. Lupone would like to dunk now, thank you. https://t.co/NkuJmjhthK
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) October 6, 2020
the best tweet https://t.co/2MNTi74kUM
— alyssa GrudgePAC mastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) October 6, 2020
there are no other tweets after this one https://t.co/oJBL7WpUNh
— Sarah Weinman (@sarahw) October 6, 2020
This tweet wins all the trophies. https://t.co/0HRcd35oUE
— Lincoln's Bible (@LincolnsBible) October 6, 2020
Patti LuPone making an Evita joke about him is everything you need right now. https://t.co/4vkFSVLkfv
— Florida Chris (@chrislongview) October 6, 2020
That is some serious diva shade.
I love it. https://t.co/D79CQI63AV
— Nicole Belle (@NicoleBelle) October 6, 2020
They soon began rewriting the lyrics to Evita's most well-known song, made famous by LuPone herself: "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina."
Don't cry for me America
The truth is I never loved you.
All through my lying,
My sad existence,
I caught the Covid
So keep your distance. #Evita #TrumpCovid https://t.co/ckappq4f2S
— 🦕a little M4A, as a treat🦕 (@Holl_Yells) October 6, 2020
Don't cry for me Mar-a-Lago! 🔥 https://t.co/sbiv90cK9A
— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) October 6, 2020
DON'T CRY FOR ME, ORANGINA https://t.co/wN9Hmine23
— Angel Luis Colón (@GoshDarnMyLife) October 6, 2020
@EdwardLawrence/X
