President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, October 1, 2020, following campaign events in New Jersey.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump said that he will be leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at 6:30 p.m. ET on Monday, just three days after he entered the hospital to be treated for the coronavirus.
Trump, in a tweet, said he is “feeling really good,” and told his nearly 87 million followers, “Don’t be afraid of Covid.”
Nearly 210,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States.
Minutes before announcing his imminent departure, Trump defended his decision Sunday to make a drive-by appearance in front of a group of his supporters outside the hospital. Health experts had condemned the move, noting that the president, who is possibly still infectious, may have put Secret Service members at risk.
“It is reported that the Media is upset because I got into a secure vehicle to say thank you to the many fans and supporters who were standing outside of the hospital for many hours, and even days, to pay their respect to their President,” Trump tweeted Monday afternoon.
“If I didn’t do it, Media would say RUDE!!!”
Trump will be leaving Walter Reed as a growing list of officials in his administration test positive for the virus.
Earlier Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced that she had tested positive for Covid-19 and would begin a “quarantine process.” The same day, it was revealed that two of her deputies also tested positive.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
