Trump tweets up storm, says he ‘feels great’
President Trump remains out of sight as he recovers from COVID-19but is making his presence known on social media.
WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump remained out of sight for a second day Wednesday recovering from COVID-19, but he made his presence known on social media as he tweeted broadsides against Democrats, floated false disease figures and pushed lawmakers to take up piecemeal economic aid proposals after nixing negotiations on a broader assistance package.
White House aides said that Trump was itching to get back to the Oval Office, and preparations are underway to allow him to do so while minimizing risk to those around him. His doctor on Wednesday reported that the president continued to make progress in his recovery.
Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, reported that Trump had declared, “I feel great!”
Conley added in a memo that Trump had been symptom-free for over 24 hours, and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal. The memo also said that antibodies against the coronavirus were detected in blood drawn from Trump on Monday, suggesting he may be fighting off the infection. The Friday before, he had been given an experimental treatment that contained manufactured antibodies.
It’s unclear what the detection of antibodies means about his course of illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after symptom onset. While reports of reinfection are rare, the CDC recommends that even people who recover from COVID-19 continue to wear a mask, stay distanced and follow other precautions.
Aides were instructed to take extensive precautions to prevent themselves from catching the coronavirus from the president. And while aides say he is working, White House officials have offered scant details of what he’s up to.
It’s unclear if Trump, since returning to the White House, has been able to receive the daily summary and analysis of national security issues produced for the president and key Cabinet members and advisers. White House officials did not answer questions about whether he’s been briefed on Hurricane Delta approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Amidst the national public health crisis, a personal one, and warning f lares from leading economists that the virus-scarred economy badly needs stimulus, Trump pushed out more than four dozen tweets by midday praising supporters and eviscerating his opponents.
He again publicly played down the virus on Twitter after his return from a three- day hospitalization, though even more aides tested positive, including one of his closest advisers, Stephen Miller. All told, more than a dozen
White House staffers have tested positive. Even as the White House has become a ghost complex this week because of the disease, Trump pushed out video of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaking of her decision to resist COVID-19 restrictions in her state and thanked a supporter who tweeted she “would wade though a sea of COVID infested water to vote for President Trump on November 3rd.”
In one significant national coronavirus action, Trump declared Tuesday there would be no action before the election on economic- stimulus legislation — not long after the Federal Reserve chairman said such help was essential for recovery with the nation reeling from the human and economic cost of the pandemic. Stocks fell on the White House news, but were recovering Wednesday after he floated the idea of piecemeal aid. Trump later tweeted his support for a range of stimulus proposals that appear to be a political non-starter before Election Day.