Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump staged a dramatic return to the White House after leaving the military hospital where he has been receiving an unprecedented level of care for Covid-19.
He immediately ignited a new controversy by declaring that, despite his illness, the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans — and then he entered the White House without a protective mask.
Trump’s message alarmed infectious disease experts and suggested the president’s own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease, which has also infected the first lady and several White House aides, including new cases revealed yesterday.
Landing at the White House on Marine One, Trump gingerly climbed the South Portico steps, removed his mask and declared: “I feel good.”
He gave a double thumbs-up to the departing helicopter from the portico terrace, where aides had arranged American flags for the sunset occasion and he entered the White House, where aides were visible milling about the Blue Room, without wearing a face covering.
The president left Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, where his doctor Navy Commander Sean Conley, said earlier yesterday that the president remains contagious and would not be fully “out of the woods” for another week but that Trump had met or exceeded standards for discharge from the hospital.
He is expected to continue his recovery at the White House, where the reach of the outbreak that has infected the highest levels of the US government is still being uncovered.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
Still, Trump indicated he will not be kept from campaigning for long, tweeting before leaving the hospital: “Will be back on the Campaign Trail soon!!!”
Trump made a point of sounding confident, tweeting: “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. … I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
His nonchalant message about not fearing the virus comes as his own administration has encouraged Americans to be very careful and take precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the disease as cases continue to spike across the country.
The remark startled his rival for the presidency, who was campaigning yesterday in Florida.
“Tell that to the 205,000 families who lost somebody,” Joe Biden said.
The former vice president added to his comments later yesterday at an outdoor town hall in Miami, where he criticised Trump for downplaying the importance of masks.
“I would hope that the president, having gone through what he went through – and I’m glad he seems to be coming along pretty well – would communicate the right lesson to the American people: masks matter,” Biden said.
That recommendation appeared to go unheeded, as Trump pushed out a new, unfiltered message to Americans: “Don’t let it dominate your life – get out there, be careful,” Trump said in a tweeted video.
For more than eight months, Trump’s efforts to play down the threat of the virus in hopes of propping up the economy ahead of the election have drawn bipartisan criticism.
“We have to be realistic in this: Covid is a complete threat to the American population,” Dr David Nace of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, said of Trump’s comments.
Dr Sadiya Khan of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said: “It’s an unconscionable message.
“I would go so far as to say that it may precipitate or worsen spread.”
There was political pushback to Trump’s attitude toward the virus as well.
Republican Senator John Cornyn told the Houston Chronicle editorial board that Trump had “let his guard down”” in his effort to show that the country was moving beyond the virus and had created “confusion” about how to stay safe.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, those with mild to moderate symptoms of Covid-19 can be contagious for as many – and should isolate for at least – 10 days.
Trump’s discharge raised new questions about how the administration was going to protect other officials from a disease that remains rampant in the president’s body.
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had tested positive for the virus yesterday morning and was entering quarantine.
With reporting from AFP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
When you see them side-by-side you can better understand the wisdom of Benedict stepping down. His successor is far fresher and more energetic looking.
Very true, how are these popes supposed to make huge decisions within the church in their latter years. Good decision by Benedict.
Benedict is so frail :(
I was thinking the same thing Siobhan :(
Funny how Jesus never lived in a palace
Historic. May this be the start of something new. God bless em in their work.
Lovely to see but poor Benedict looks so frail.. :(
I totally agree Deidre and hope he breathes a breath of fresh air over the Catholic church .
I would dearly love to see Women taking more of a role and priests allowed to marry.
I really wish him every success and God speed.
Mike. Agreed. Its been a great first ten days. He looks like a man with energy and purpose who lives the Gospel.
My greatest wish would be that the youth would return to the Church. Hopefully he can inspire them
I would dearly love to see people (myself included) getting back to the church we love and need.
I had been so disillousioned but please God we get back to what our faith is about,peace,understanding and tolerance and a love of our faith.
I was happy to hear the Pope talking about creating a bond with Muslims and other faiths.
I am quite excited about this and I hope he makes the difference.
Amazing bit of history right there
a real genuine meeting….
Helicopter to lunch, as you do.
A deuce of Popes no one ever said before.
The craic was 90 between the two of them!
Live and let live. Born and raised RC but have not practiced for many tears. Still, I see Francis as a man who may yet reinvigorate the church.
Lets not forget all the good being done by the church too. And by church I mean the ordinary people within it.
John. That comment has made my day. I am a practising RC and very happy.
I am sad that so many have stopped attending church. And we have a generation that associates Catholicism only with child abuse. I am delighted with Pope Francis so far. Onwards and upwards i hope.
@ John.
Same here but I would like to think I will see change in the church and people like ourselves coming back.
The church has a long way to go but lets hope & pray .
I agree Mike.
I am delighted that so many Catholics have turned away from the RCC By doing this they are showing solidarity with the countless multitudes who have suffered at the hands of clerics internationally . Less and less people are being fooled by the hypocrisy , more and more are becoming enlightened and free . Thanks to technology , science and communication . I feel proud to belong to a group of a billion non believers on the planet. We must at all costs protect our youth from indoctrinaion by helping them to think critically for themselves and question everything. Replace religous myth and endoctrination with science fact. Dispel the false concept that a belief in god is a prequisite to being a good person.
Marvel Popes Assemble.
Religion is a fake man made. Look into it you will be shocked. All religions have the same characteristics virgin mother, the son, all have 12 people around them and all involve resurrection etc, how is that even possible.
I’m truly shocked.
61 thumbs down expected really, studied history, go back to Egyptian times look at what they worshiped look at the similarities it has to the way religion was created, look at how religions are so similar and all stem from what the Egyptians worshiped. They worshiped the sun with its halo of rays( thorns ) around it, the 12 stages of the sun( all religion has 12 people around the son) and much more, too long to explain and many people don’t want to believe it. But that’s their right, this was just research I did and the conclusion I came to.
I wouldn’t bother adelle, some people are so brain washed they will believe any non sense.
Adelle. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that religion is man made fiction. That probably explains half your red thumbs!
Adele
Quit while you’re behind!
Discovered this a few years ago as well, when my mum and I were chatting about the church I told her about, blew her mind completely.
For men of the poor they sure do like to fly by helicopter.
He says he would love to see a poor church for poor people, send him over the last fianna fail government, they will fix that for him pronto
Did Benedict borrow his jacket from Bianca Jackson?
They are breaking history,good to see them together
Didn’t realise Woody Allen was directing the next Star Wars movie with Benedict starring as Palpatine….
They look like boyfriends
we’re all going to heaven…weyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
History in the making amazing
Good call benedict.
They probably talked about how God made the speed of light 670 million MPH and how if that light left earth 100 years ago it would be around 20% across our own galaxy and that there are 400 billion galaxies and it was all made for humans who are in the creators likeness.
Oh yeah and how God doesn’t like gays.
I’m seeing double…4 popes!!!
Me Papa et u Papa
Im sure it was an exciting experience for both of them. Talking about communion and white hats, and other such epic topics.
It was far from a palace that Jesus was raised .
Francis seemed a bit in awe of Benedict as if he still considers him the boss.
The men in white
is Benedict wearing one of those padded pauls boutique jackets? long way from the Hugo boss he wore in his Nazi days …………. at least they have their support of a fascist regime in common ….. something to talk about i suppose
Castel Gandolfo! And where was Gandolf? He’d fit in lovely with the 2 boys. They may ask him to shave for the occasion, though!
guaranteed Brent Pope is feeling a little left out…
Does the old pope get to keep wearing his white hat even or should he wear a different one as I though white was just for the pope ? Anyone know ?
popes wear many hat’s, mostly what suits them at the moment
have your say