White House Physician Repeatedly Dodges Question of Whether Trump Was Ever Put on Oxygen (UPDATE)
White House physician Dr. Sean Conley repeatedly avoided telling reporters whether President Donald Trump was ever put on oxygen after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Thursday night.
At a briefing with reporters at Walter Reed Medical Center Saturday, Conley said Trump had a fever, but has been fever free since Friday morning.
“We remain cautiously optimistic, but he is doing great,” Conley said. “He had a little cough he had the fever. More than anything, he has felt run down.
When a reporter asked if Trump has “received any supplemental oxygen,” Conley replied, “He is not on oxygen right now, that’s right.”
“He has not received any at all?” the reporter followed up, and Conley again offered a narrow response.
“He has not needed any this morning today at all,” he said. “That’s right.”
A few minutes later, another reporter pressed Conley on whether the president was ever on oxygen.
“Has he ever been on supplemental oxygen?” the reporter asked.
“Right now he is not on oxygen,” the doctor replied.
“I know you keep saying right now, but should we read into the fact that he had been previously?” the reporter pressed.
“Yesterday and today, he was not on oxygen,” Conley said.
“So he has not been on it during his Covid treatment?” another reporter asked.
“He is not on oxygen right now,” Conley replied.
“Right now all indicators is that he will remain off of oxygen,” Conley said.
Friday evening, Trump was airlifted to Walter Reed Medical Center aboard Marine One, where he is now being treated with Remdesivir.
Watch above, via CNN.
UPDATE 1:02 p.m.: The Associated Press and the New York Times reported that Trump was given supplemental oxygen at the White House before he flew on Marine One to Walter Reed Medial Center Friday afternoon.
Two people close to the White House said in separate interviews that the president had trouble breathing on Friday and that his oxygen level dropped, prompting his doctors to give him supplemental oxygen while at the White House. @maggieNYT
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) October 3, 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — AP source: President Trump was administered supplemental oxygen at the White House on Friday before going to hospital
— Steve Peoples (@sppeoples) October 3, 2020
