Twitter Erupts With Shock, Dismay At Trump’s ‘Frivolous’ SUV Photo Op: ‘He’s Hot Boxing the Secret Service!’

Sarah RumpfOct 4th, 2020, 6:29 pm
 

Photo by ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images.

Twitter users reacted with shock and dismay at President Donald Trump‘s short excursion in a black SUV around the streets surrounding Walter Reed hospital, where he is receiving treatment for Covid-19, with many expressing concern for the Secret Service agents traveling with him in the enclosed vehicle.

The president was admitted to Walter Reed on Friday, and has experienced symptoms including a high fever, fatigue, and trouble breathing. Conflicting information has been reported from the president’s medical team and members of the White House staff, speaking both on and off the record.

In an apparent effort to encourage his supporters and project an image of strength, Trump has posted several photos and videos from Walter Reed and then took the short, unannounced ride in the back of a black SUV as he waved to the supporters surrounding the hospital. The entire trip lasted only a few minutes and the presidential motorcade returned to Walter Reed.

The White House did not give notice to the press corps that Trump was planning this car ride, and the White House Correspondents’ Association reacted with swift condemnation, issuing a statement saying it was “outrageous for the president to have left the hospital — even briefly — amid a health crisis without a protective pool present to ensure that the American people know where their president is and how he is doing.”

Much of the other online reaction was similarly negative, with many noting the close quarters and enclosed environment inside the SUV with the president, who is known to be experiencing symptoms and viewed as highly contagious. Secret Service agents, of course, sign up for the duties of the job knowing full well they could have to give their life to protect the president, but a completely optional trip to wave at supporters struck many as an unnecessary risk.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.