Minutes after White House physician Sean Conley gave reporters a rosy report on President Trump’s condition battling the COVID-19 China coronavirus at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, an anonymous quote was sent to pool reporters stating the President’s condition was worse than said at the briefing.
“Pooler passes along these comments on background from a source familiar with the president’s health. “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.”
A screen capture of the email shows a warning that it came from an “external sender”
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Video posted of White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows talking with reporters at Walter Reed after Conley’s briefing shows Meadows saying, “Obviously the cameras are still rolling, so if, if we can go off the record with some of y’all and get away from the cameras. and to turn off cameras…”
UPDATE: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows briefed reporters without cameras—but he was caught on a feed asking to be off the record. pic.twitter.com/JyrhSmu1Y0
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 3, 2020
While what was said by Meadows after that was not reported, White House and Washington based reporters have named Meadows as the anonymous source for the quote about Trump’s condition:
For what it’s worth, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said this in an “off the record” huddle despite live cameras still rolling.
Meadows then noticed the cameras and asked they be shut off before he’d share more “off the record” stuff. https://t.co/qyYzw9zbmx
— Max Burns (@themaxburns) October 3, 2020
It was Mark Meadows. https://t.co/L3YuRn9tck
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) October 3, 2020
The WH offcial who immediately contradicted the WH doctor after the briefing, prompting that jarring @AP alert:
Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who himself was offering a rosy portrait yesterday.
When he knew he was on camera https://t.co/4HmaUUAOq1
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) October 3, 2020
UPDATE: The AP reports a source tells them Trump was on oxygen at the White House on Friday, “BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — AP source: President Trump was administered supplemental oxygen at the White House on Friday before going to hospital.”
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — AP source: President Trump was administered supplemental oxygen at the White House on Friday before going to hospital.
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) October 3, 2020
