Published 10:48 IST, October 6th 2020
Trump releases campaign-style video after returning to White House from Walter Reed
Donald Trump taped a campaign-style video and tweeted it on his social media accounts marking a grand return to the White House after his hospitalisation.
US President Donald Trump taped a campaign-style video and tweeted it on his social media accounts marking a grand return to the White House after his hospitalisation at Walter Reed Medical Centre due to COVID-19 diagnoses. From saying “don’t let it dominant you” to reiterating that he has been “feeling good”, Trump did not leave 87 million followers on Twitter without a single update about his illness. Touting his own image as the leader of the United States, Trump said “I had to do that” implying he is getting back to work.
In the highly-produced video which he reportedly recorded after the reporters left the South Lawn, Trump said, “I stood out front. I led”. Testing positive just a few weeks before the presidential election, the Republican leader claimed that there is “nobody” who would do what he did following the illness that initially triggered misinformation, rumours, and conspiracy theories. Saying he’s feeling great than the last 20 years, US President said, “maybe I’m immune?”. While he still remains infected with COVID-19, Trump was snapped removing the mask despite White House physician Dr Sean Conley saying that President Trump is not entirely 'out of the woods yet'.
Trump said learnt about COVID-19 from ‘real school’
Earlier, in a little more than a minute-long clip, Trump had said that he has had a “very interesting journey” and was learning a lot about COVID-19 by going to the “real school” and not the “read the book school”. While the US President was being monitored at the military hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, his motorcade even drove past his supporters outside the centre.
“It has been a very interesting journey. I learned a lot about Covid-19. I learned by really going to the school and this is the real school and this isn’t the read the book school. And I get it and I understand it,” said Trump.
COVID-19 ‘October surprise’
Just two days after the New York Times dropped a bombshell report on Trump’s tax returns, the US First Couple announced their illness sending the US media into a frenzy once again. What US media outlets are calling as an ‘epitome of October surprise’, the Republican leader’s diagnosis has the potential to alter the course of the upcoming US Election.
In the American political lingo, 'October surprise' is a major news event, just a month before the November vote, that has the potential to swing the elections. October news events have been consistent at upping the ante in US Presidential Elections through the years and Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis seems to be this year's big game-changer.
Just weeks ago, both Democrats and Republicans were campaigning in full swing with their contrasting views on a range of issues such as racial injust, bilateral relations, health policies. However, after Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, both Democrats and Republicans have altered their tone. While Biden called it an “American moment” and continued to urge people to wear masks, Trump in one of the video messages, said he is “fighting for millions” in America and in the world who are infected with COVID-19.
Updated 10:47 IST, October 6th 2020