WATCH: CNN’s Jim Acosta Reports Trump ‘Having Trouble Breathing’ As White House Doc Claims He’ ‘Doing Very Well’
CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta reporter that President Donald Trump was “having trouble breathing” even as White House physician Dr. Sean Conley was reporting Trump was “doing very well” and being treated with Remdesivir.
On Friday night, hours after Marine One airlifted Trump to Walter Reed, Acosta delivered a report from the White House in which he painted a very harrowing picture of Trump’s condition, and told anchor Anderson Cooper that the official line on the president’s health is “a lot of wishful thinking.”
“I talked to a Trump campaign advisor just a short while ago who said that this is serious,” Acosta said. “That the president has been having some trouble breathing, that he’s been very fatigued today, very tired, and emphasized that this is not just a run of the mill trip up to Walter Reed, that this is a serious situation.”
“Talked to another source familiar with the situation this evening who said that there are serious concerns among White House staffers about the president’s condition,” he continued. “We should add to all of that Anderson that White House officials continue to maintain that the president is just experiencing mild symptoms from the coronavirus, has a fever, and they expect him to pull through just fine but to have the president of the United States transported via Marine One to Walter Reed, where he’s going to be staying there for the next few days according to White House officials, and working out of the White House according to those officials, that indicates that this is perhaps more than just a mild case of the coronavirus and the Trump adviser I spoke to earlier this evening emphasized that. That this is a serious situation for the president at this point.”
Cooper told Acosta that “It seems like the public statements coming out of the White House are just pretty much meaningless,” and after recapping the story so far, said “They have no idea.”
“I think there’s some wishful thinking going on over here Anderson,” Acosta replied. “I mean I would tell you I talked to several White House officials this evening who said that the president’s symptoms are more serious, more concerning than those of the first lady at this point and that’s part of the reason why he had to go to Walter Reed.”
He added that “we don’t want to overstate the situation,” but said despite the official line from the White House, “it sounds as though, talking to our sources, that the president’s conditions have worsened throughout the day and that this has caused some alarm inside the West Wing, that they were concerned enough that this decision was made to get the president up to Walter Reed.”
Acosta concluded his report by saying “This is very very serious, Anderson.”
Hours later, the White House released an update from Dr. Conley that painted a different portrait:
I release the following information with the permission of President Donald J. Trump.
This afternoon. in consultation with specialists from Walter Reed and Johns Hopkins University, I recommended movement of the President up to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for further monitoring. This evening I am happy to report that the President is doing very well. He is not requiring any supplemental oxygen, but in consultation with specialists we have elected to initiate Remdesivir therapy. He has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably.
Watch the clip above via CNN.
