In a memorandum released just before midnight on Friday night, White House physician Sean Conley announced that there was no need to test Donald Trump for the coronavirus despite the fact he was recently in close contact with two (update: now three) people at Mar-a-Lago who have now tested positive for COVID-19.
Early in the afternoon on Saturday, Trump told reporters he had, indeed, been tested last night, although he didn’t say whether it was before or after his doctor’s midnight statement. Trump said the results would be available in a “a day or two.”
Despite his reputation as a germaphobe, Trump’s casualness in the face of a virus known to be deadly to older people with pre-existing conditions is somewhat baffling.
As an obese 73-year-old with heart disease who has had known contact with at least three people carrying the virus who also happens to be the President of the United States, you might think: a) Trump would be able to get his test results back in a couple of hours; b) Trump would want to know exactly when he’s getting his test results back; or c) He’s lying about it. Either he hasn’t had the test yet or already has the results.
Of course, the fact that Trump would lie about being tested—or make his doctor lie to say he didn’t need to be—isn’t baffling at all.
Trump has a long history of lying about his health.
From the fake doctor’s letter (which we later found out he wrote himself) during the campaign to the raid on his doctor’s office to confiscate his medical files after he became President to his mystery trip to Walter Reed last November, Trump has been as secretive about the true state of his health as he is about his tax returns.
More than one person (including Tom Arnold) has alleged that Trump snorted Adderall on the set of “The Apprentice.”
Many doctors have raised questions about Trump’s mental health and the possibility he has dementia.
Trump’s former White House doctor even appeared to lie about his height in order to avoid labeling him “obese.”
We already have enough questions about Trump’s physical and mental well-being.
In the midst of a National Emergency (“two very big words”), this is no time for Trump and his White House enablers to lie and obfuscate about his COVID-19 status—especially at a time when it’s so important he doesn’t infect people like 79-year-old Tony Fauci, who we really need to get us through this crisis.
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