|
 Roughly 17 hours after he announced he had tested positive for the
coronavirus, Trump walked slowly from the White House to a waiting
helicopter to be taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical
Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He wore a mask and business suit and
did not speak to reporters.
"I think I'm doing very well, but we're going to make sure that
things work out," Trump said in a brief video posted to Twitter.
Trump will work in a special suite at the hospital for the next few
days as a precautionary measure, White House press secretary
Kayleigh McEnany said.
Trump, 74, has a mild fever, according to a source familiar with the
matter. White House doctor Sean P. Conley said he is being treated
with an experimental drug cocktail and is "fatigued but in good
spirits."
It was the latest setback for the Republican president, who is
trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the
Nov. 3 presidential election.
Trump, who has played down the threat of the coronavirus pandemic
from the outset, wrote on Twitter earlier on Friday that he and his
wife Melania were going into quarantine after testing positive for
the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans and severely
damaged the U.S. economy.
An active Twitter user, Trump has posted only the short video since
then.
Trump is at high risk because of his age and weight. He has remained
in apparent good health during his time in office but is not known
to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.
Conley said Trump has received an experimental treatment,
Regeneron's REGN-COV2. The drug is one of several experimental
COVID-19 drugs known as monoclonal antibodies, which are used for
treating a wide range of illnesses. U.S. infectious disease chief
Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those saying the technology has promise.
Trump is also taking zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a
daily aspirin.
Stocks on Wall Street closed lower as news of Trump's diagnosis
added to mounting uncertainties surrounding the election.
The president's illness upended his re-election campaign with just
31 days to go until Election Day. The campaign said it would
postpone rallies and other events where he was scheduled to appear,
or take them online.
Biden pulled ads attacking Trump off the air but otherwise continued
his campaign, traveling to Michigan on Friday after testing negative
for the virus.
At a union hall in Grand Rapids, Biden said he was praying for his
rival's recovery. However, he also implicitly criticized Trump, who
has mocked Biden for routinely wearing a mask and has held huge
campaign rallies with little social distancing.
"Be patriotic," Biden said. "It's not about being a tough guy. It's
about doing your part."
[to top of second column] |
Trump's illness also raised questions about the health of others atop the U.S.
government.
Vice President Mike Pence, who would take over if Trump were to fall severely
ill, has tested negative, a spokesman said. The former Indiana governor, 61, is
working from his own residence several miles from the White House.
Pence took over Trump's planned calls with governors and retirees'
organizations. His Oct. 7 debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate
Kamala Harris will go forward as planned, organizers said. Harris has also
tested negative for the virus, according to the campaign.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, third in line for the presidency,
also tested negative, a spokesman said.
Three journalists tested positive on Friday after spending time over the weekend
at the White House or traveling with Trump, according to Zeke Miller, an
Associated Press reporter and president of the White House Correspondents'
Association.
The Republican National Committee would choose a replacement nominee if Trump
were to become incapacitated, but it is already too late in most states to
change the names on the ballot. Some 2.9 million people have already voted,
according to figures compiled by University of Florida professor Michael
McDonald.
The virus could also complicate Trump's push to install conservative judge Amy
Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court.
At least three people who were at a White House event to announce her
nomination, University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins and Republican
senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, said Friday they have tested positive.
Lee and Tillis are both members of the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary
Committee, which is scheduled to begin hearings on Barrett's nomination on Oct.
12.
Barrett herself tested positive for the virus earlier this year and recovered,
according to a person familiar with the matter.
Tillis, who said in a statement that he has no symptoms, will isolate at home
for 10 days. Polls show a close race between him and Democratic challenger Cal
Cunningham for his North Carolina seat, one of several Democrats hope to flip in
their quest to win a Senate majority in November.
Trump is the latest world leader to contract the virus, which can cause a severe
respiratory infection.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was rushed into intensive care after
falling gravely ill in March. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called the
virus a "little flu" after being infected in July. Both men recovered.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Andy Sullivan; additional reporting by Diane
Bartz, Jeff Mason, Trevor Hunicutt and Joseph Ax; Writing by Andy Sullivan;
Editing by Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
