By Kenneth Tiven in Washington DC
Globally, medical experts have been critical of the information doctors have released about the condition and treatment for US President Donald Trump’s Covid-19 infection. It is not surprising when you realise that doctors at an Army hospital are treating their very own commander-in-chief. Recall that Trump’s personal physician in 2016 disowned his evaluation letter, saying Trump had “dictated” it to him.
If you combine some of what his doctors said with other indicators it is entirely possible that Trump was already infected when he did the first presidential debate on Tuesday, September 29. This story is written exactly a week later based on these clues.
- A dozen Trump advisors as well as staff from the White House have become Covid-19 positive and ill in the past three days. This aligns more closely to debate preparation and the debate than it does to the Rose Garden gathering of the previous weekend that was largely mask-less and without social distancing for a Supreme Court nominee.
- Several of those infected spent significant personal time with Trump. The first indication of trouble was Wednesday evening (US Time), followed early Thursday by word that both Trump and his wife were testing positive. Now there are 15 others infected, plus we’ve just learned that one admiral on the Joint Chiefs of Staff has tested positive so the military top command has been quarantined.
- Last Monday, the day before the presidential debate, Trump spoke at an outdoor briefing at the White House from a single podium while all other speakers used a separate platform.
- The next day Trump arrived for the debate too late to undergo the agreed upon COPVID-19 test, a fact noted after the fact.
- Sitting in the debate audience, the Trump family and most Administration officials sat mask-less, despite agreement that they would wear them. All except one Trump—Melania. Did his wife know something she couldn’t explain?
- On Monday, lead doctor Sean Conley referred to Trump as being 72 hours into the diagnosis, but was forced to correct himself two hours later. If his initial statement is the truth then Trump was infected Tuesday night while shouting across the stage at Joe Biden, his opponent.
- From the Rose Garden party, the most important people moved to a reception inside the White House, again with no masks or distancing. This sadly suggests that the President may have been the spreader-in-chief.
These people—now infected—left the Rose Garden for the post-event reception in the Diplomatic Room: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and two assistant press secretaries, Republican senators Thom Tillis and Mike Lee, pastor Greg Laurie, Notre Dame University president John Jenkins, and former senior advisor Kellyanne Conway.
Trump left his bed to take a drive around the Walter Reed Hospital area to show himself to his gathered supporters. He endangered the Secret Service agents cooped up in the car with him. His rapid return to the White House and his treatment with a cocktail of experimental drugs all add to the notion that he cannot take the pandemic seriously.
Perhaps this is the October Election Surprise threatened early in the pandemic period. The Administration is not telling anyone when the last negative test for Trump was done, because either: (Pick your choice).
- Don’t know because they didn’t actually do tests.
- Hiding the dates for reasons that might be obvious.
- Don’t want to reveal true extent of White House outbreak.
- Don’t feel obligated to do any contact tracing.
- Told CDC not to do any tracing either.
- All of the above.
Trump’s unwillingness to be forthcoming was explained in the interviews with author Bob Woodward for the book Rage. Is it reasonable to believe that all of this is meant to make the pandemic, with more than 210,000 dead Americans, seem irrelevant to his fitness for leadership?
Exposing a rival presidential candidate to a deadly disease on purpose brings it into the realm of the unthinkable. Senate Democratic leadership is demanding a full explanation, asking “did they deliberately hide this information”. The news media is focusing in on this question as well.
We report. You decide.