President Trump took to Twitter Tuesday to deny claims that an unscheduled trip to Walter Reed hospital last year was anything more than a checkup — but in doing so added fuel to speculation that it was for something more serious.
“It never ends!” the president shared on social media. “Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate – FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!”
His tweet appears to have been prompted by a new book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, a copy of which has been obtained by the Washington Examiner.
During Trump’s trip in November 2019, Vice President Mike Pence was told that he should be “on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized,” the book claims.
It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate – FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2020
Trump never had to be anesthetized, Pence never assumed the presidency, and, Schmidt said, “the reason for Trump’s trip to the doctor remains a mystery.”
Schmidt never mentioned anything about “mini-strokes,” a claim that appears to have originated with author Don Winslow, who said he had received “three communications” saying the president had suffered several ministrokes, according to an article last month from the Inquisitr.
At the time, the White House released a memo saying that the visit was an “interim checkup” that had been kept secret because of “scheduling uncertainties.”
Following Trump’s subsequent tweet, Sean Conley, the physician to the president, released a statement affirming that the president is in good health.
“President Donald J Trump has asked that I, Dr. Sean Conley, Physician to the President, address the recent public comments regarding his health. I can confirm that President Trump has not experienced nor been evaluated for a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), transient ischemic attack (mini stroke), or any acute cardiovascular emergencies, as have been incorrectly reported in the media,” he said. “The President remains healthy and I have no concerns about his ability to maintain the rigorous schedule ahead of him. As stated in my last report, I expect him to remain fit to execute the duties of the Presidency.”
