Trump's Trip to Hospital Raises Questions

Medical experts question taking physical in stages, months apart
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 18, 2019 6:32 PM CST
Trump's Trip to Hospital Raises Questions
President Trump's motorcade waits at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Saturday.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Trump's unexpected trip to Walter Reed hospital Saturday has indications of not being routine after all—and even baffling, experts said. White House aides, which had said Trump underwent a "quick exam and labs," avoided answering questions Monday. Experts were puzzled by the official explanation that the visit was for “phase one” of Trump's annual physical exam, the Washington Post reports, saying it would be unusual to take a physical in stages months apart. That could be counterproductive, one said: "When they complete the physical in six months, the information they got on Saturday would be six months old." In addition, he pointed out that the White House has a medical office that can handle most procedures. "The most informative question to ask about the current situation is, ‘What is available at Walter Reed that is not available in the West Wing medical unit?'" he said.

NBC reporter Kelly O’Donnell tweeted a video that appeared to show the White House physician putting Trump into an SUV on the way to the hospital. That added to the suspicion that all wasn't routine, per Vox. In addition, the president hasn't been seen by White House reporters since Saturday. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham said that all the information provided by the White House about the hospital visit is "true and accurate," per the AP, while a predecessor, Joe Lockhart, tweeted that "the one thing you can be absolutely sure of is this was not routine." (More Walter Reed Army Medical Center stories.)

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