Donald Trump upset with Meadows for COVID-19 comments

Chief of Staff Mark Meadows spoke to reporters from the Associated Press and New York Times

President Donald Trump is reportedly upset with Chief of Staff Mark Meadows after Meadows spoke to the press about the president’s current condition.

Contradicting the White House physician’s assessment of Trump’s health, Meadows told reporters from the Associated Press and the New York Times that the president is not doing well.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters about President Trump’s positive coronavirus test outside the West Wing of the White House on October 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“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 are still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” Meadows said to a pool of reporters. 

Read More: Hot on the Hill: Rep. Congressman Mark Meadows accused of using Black HUD official Lynne Patton as ‘prop’ to prove Trump isn’t racist

Trump, who wants coverage of his health to be optimistic, is reportedly furious that Meadows would contradict his physician, according to CNN.

White House Officials had a carefully prepared statement about the president’s health on the weekend, but Meadows’s statement created mixed messages, raising questions about which statement was more accurate.

CNN has confirmed that the White House is certain that Trump is dissatisfied with Meadows’s statement, stating that it “damaged the credibility of the current medical briefings on the President’s bout with the coronavirus.”

https://twitter.com/fraying/status/1312816570830213120

Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley, Trump’s physician, is blaming the media for the confusion.

Conley said that the contradictions occurred due to the timing of the statements, and the media “misconstrued” Meadows’s interpretation of what was going on.

“What he meant was that 24 hours ago when he and I were checking on the President, that there was that momentary episode of a high fever and that temporary drop in the saturation, which prompted us to act expediently to move him up here,” Conley said, referring to the Walter Reed Medical Center.

Read More: Trump resisted being hospitalized for COVID as Election Day nears: report

“The fact of the matter is he’s doing very well,” said Conley.

“I just want to tell you that I’m starting to feel good,” Trump said. “You don’t know over the next period of a few days, I guess that’s the real test. So, we’ll be seeing what happens over those next couple of days.”

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