Walter Reed Attending Physician Calls Trump’s Brief Drive-By ‘Political Theater’ And ‘Insanity’

BETHESDA, Md. (WJZ) — President Donald Trump briefly left a Maryland hospital Sunday evening to wave to supporters from his car, despite the CDC’s guidelines to isolate when diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University and an attending physician at Walter Reed Medical Center, tweeted that Mr. Trump’s brief departure from the hospital was “theater” and called it “insanity.”

Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential “drive-by” just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity. — Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020

President Trump revealed overnight Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He was taken to the Walter Reed Medical Center later that evening.

He also went through a “very concerning” period Friday and doctors said the next 48 hours would “be critical” in his care as he battled the coronavirus at a hospital, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Saturday.

The president’s visit came shortly after he promised his supporters “a surprise” in a video posted a video on social media.

Dr. Phillips said in the tweets that every person in the car with the president has to be quarantined, and that their lives were put at risk for “political theater.”

That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play. — Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department’s website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ’s coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.