Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Walter Reed Physician Breaks Down the 'Insanity' of Trump's Joy Ride With Secret Service

Walter Reed Physician Breaks Down the 'Insanity' of Trump's Joy Ride With Secret Service
ABC News // ABC News

This past Friday, President Donald Trump was flown to Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment after he announced on Thursday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus that's killed over 200 thousand Americans.

As White House health officials confirmed that the President was on a cocktail of multiple drugs and had received supplemental oxygen, the President scrambled to paint himself as the picture of good health.


He posted photos of himself signing apparently blank sheets of paper while releasing Twitter videos assuring the public of his good spirits.

Most shockingly, as the President's supporters gathered outside Walter Reed with Trump flags and other memorabilia, the President and at least two Secret Service agents rode out in the hermetically sealed presidential SUV to greet them.

Trump's willingness to put those agents' lives unnecessarily at risk by potentially spreading the virus to them in the compact space sparked outcry, including from a physician at the same medical center Trump is currently occupying.

Dr. James Phillips, an attending physician at Walter Reed, called the move "insanity."


In a later interview with ABC News, Phillips elaborated on the risks Trump's photo-op posed for the Secret Service agents.

Watch below.

Phillips said:

"I have serious concerns that in any automobile, masks or no masks, there's a very high risk of transmission. And then add in to the mix that that's not any vehicle. That's a hermetically sealed vehicle that's designed to be impenetrable to chemical attacks, therefore the amount of circulation inside is even poorer than we would expect from a normal vehicle."

He continued:

"And as a physician, you look at the decisions we make has risks versus benefits, and I don't know what the benefits of this political stunt were, but I do know what the risks were, and my concern is perhaps the Secret Service agents that were inside don't know the full risk of what they were up against there and what the real threats were."

People sided with Phillips' expertise.



Phillips was far from the only one criticizing Trump for the stunt.






While the First Lady has the virus as well, she's elected to stay at the White House instead of at Walter Reed. The reason given by a member of her team was that "She has [the virus]. That would expose the agents who would drive her there and the medical staff who would walk her up to him."

More from People/donald-trump

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lynda Carter; Screenshot of Donald Trump
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images; Newsmax

Lynda Carter Hilariously Channels Wonder Woman In Response To Trump's Claim About 'Undetectable' Planes

After President Donald Trump touted the U.S. military's "stealth" planes that he described as "undetectable," Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter responded to his claim with a funny quip sure to delight fans of her iconic character.

Earlier, Trump boasted about the military's capabilities in remarks to reporters in the Oval Office amid heightened concerns about the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict that is sending shockwaves throughout the Middle East and around the world:

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less