Trump coronavirus news: Masked President airlifted from White House lawn to begin Walter Reed hospitalisation

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Marine One takes off as Trump is transferred to Walter Reed medical center

Donald Trump gave a thumbs up and waved to well-wishers as he walked to Marine 1 to begin hospitalisation at Walter Reed Medical Centre on Friday afternoon following cold-like symptoms of a fever and cough.  

A White House spokesperson said it was a precautionary measure, while Trump's doctor said the president was taking a mix of drugs, including Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail as well as aspirin, zinc, vitamin D, famotidine and melatonin.

Trump's campaign staff cancelled all in-person events for the first family, with Mike Pence to step in. Joe Biden, meanwhile, flew to Michigan to continue his campaign after testing negative, saying he sends prayers for Trump's 'health and safety'.

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Key points

• Trump being moved to hospital as precautionary measure
• Trump on mix of drugs and feeling fatigued, according to White House doctor
• White House insists Trump is 'hard at work' and next debate is still on
• Trump cancels events, goes without tweeting for 12 hours following coronavirus diagnosis
• Joe Biden and wife Jill test negative for coronavirus and return to campaign trial

[3 October 2020 04:45 · Justin Vallejo]

CNN’s Jake Tapper slams Trump 'reckless behaviour’ as president in hospital 

The anchor called Donald Trump a symbol of his own failure as he was taken to Walter Reed Medical Centre for observation over the weekend.

[3 October 2020 04:30 · Justin Vallejo]

‘The president is in charge’: White House says no transfer of power despite Trump being flown to hospital

In an apparent attempt to clamp down on speculation that Mike Pence was to step in as acting president, the White House said Donald Trump would be working remotely from Walter Reed Army Medical Centre for several days.

Andrew Buncombe has more on this.

[3 October 2020 04:15 · Justin Vallejo]

Michael Moore wasn’t the only one spreading conspiracy theories over Trump’s Covid diagnosis

By Friday morning, nearly 30,000 Twitter users had retweeted a variety of conspiracy theories about the news, according to an analysis by VineSight, a tech company that tracks online misinformation.

Facebook said Friday that it immediately began monitoring misinformation around the president’s diagnosis and had started applying fact checks to some false posts.

Twitter, meanwhile, was monitoring an uptick in “copypasta” campaigns — which are attempts from numerous Twitter accounts to parrot the same phrase over and over again to inundate users with messaging — about Trump’s illness. The social media company said it was working to limit views on those tweets. - AP

[3 October 2020 04:00 · Justin Vallejo]

ICYMI: Michael Moore floats conspiracy theory that Trump may be faking Covid diagnosis

Documentarian and left-wing activist Michael Moore has floated a conspiracy theory on his Facebook page that suggested Donald Trump's coronavirus diagnosis was faked.

Graig Graziosi wades through the film maker’s 1200-word manifesto so you don’t have to.

[3 October 2020 03:45 · Justin Vallejo]

Trump supporters shocked at diagnosis but unwavering in support

While Qanon might think it’s all an act, some Trump supporters were genuinely thrown.

“It was shocking,” said Maranda Joseph, 43, of Warren, Ohio, who has 12 Trump flags in her front yard festooned with skeletons and other Halloween decorations. “To see he has it wakes you up a bit. Anyone can get it, even the president.”

In Palm Springs, California, 36-year-old Katie Jones, from San Diego, was confident Trump would beat the virus.

“It’s, like, heartbreaking inside, but he’s a strong man. He’ll get through it,”  she said.

Dan Madden, an independent voter from Orange County speaking in Palm Springs, said concerns could rise if Trump’s condition worsened.

“If he’s down in bed and sick and needs a respirator, that would probably change a lot of people’s opinion. But he may just feel some flu symptoms. He may just have to stay in bed a few days. You don’t know. It affects everyone so differently.”

In Bangor, Pennsylvania, Trump supporter Jack Cooper, a 70-year-old retired electrician, said the president was paying the price for underestimating the virus’s dangers. He said, however, that would not stop him for voting for Trump again.

“He’s getting a taste of his own medicine,” said Cooper, who lives in a crucial swing district. “He was fooling around without a mask in big crowds. It’s like bringing a pit bull into a big crowd — something is gonna happen.” - Reuters

[3 October 2020 03:30 · Justin Vallejo]

QAnon followers bizarrely celebrate Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis

After attempting to decode Trump’s last tweet, QAnon followers believe the president sent a secret signal that he is stepping away from the public eye in anticipation of The Storm, an anticipated violent action supposed to lock up members of the paedophile cabal at Guantanamo Bay while the US military retakes control of the country.

James Crump attempts to untangle this pretzel.

[3 October 2020 03:15 · Justin Vallejo]

White House officials concerned over lack of contingency planning

As Donald Trump’s campaigning ground to a halt amid his positive coronavirus diagnosis, Mike Pence remained at home and staffers began worrying about the lack of a contingency plan for what to do if the president became sick.

“I wish I could tell you they have this good protocol that’s been in play for months, but it seems to ramp up and down with whatever’s going on politically,” a person familiar with the White House approach to Covid-19 safety measures told Politico.

[3 October 2020 03:00 · Justin Vallejo]

Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis drastically upends already chaotic presidential race

Washington Bureau Chief John T Bennett is hearing whispers among insiders and journalists about the president’s health, with speculation intensifying as the day dragged and Trump prepared to spend the next few days at a military hospital.

[3 October 2020 02:30 · Justin Vallejo]

Trump campaign held major fundraiser despite knowing president’s coronavirus exposure

The White House sent Donald Trump to a big-dollar campaign fundraiser on Thursday with around 100 people knowing the president had been in close contact with a West Wing aide who had just tested positive for coronavirus.

John T Bennett gets to the bottom of this story.

[3 October 2020 02:15 · Justin Vallejo]

Elon Musk joins well wishers as concerns grow over Trump’s condition