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Morning Briefing

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Wednesday, Nov 20 2019

Full Issue

Trump Insists Surprise Walter Reed Visit Was 'Very Routine' As Speculation Continues Over His Health

President Donald Trump said that the coverage of his visit worried first lady Melania Trump into think he'd had a heart attack. Meanwhile, the White House is re-framing the visit as a "check-up" rather than a physical.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he went through a 鈥渧ery routine physical鈥 when he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center over the weekend. The president complained that first lady Melania Trump and some of his staff members expressed concern about his health based on media reports about Saturday鈥檚 trip to the hospital. He said it鈥檚 the media that鈥檚 鈥渟ick.鈥 (Freking, 11/19)

[Trump] told reporters that he was greeted by a panicked first lady and communications department when he arrived back at the White House due to media coverage of the trip. 鈥淚 went for a physical. And I came back and my wife said, 鈥楧arling are you OK? 鈥 Oh they鈥檙e reporting you may have had a heart attack,鈥欌 Trump explained. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榃hy did I have a heart attack?鈥 鈥楤ecause you went to Walter Reed Medical Center鈥 鈥 that's where we go when we get the physicals.鈥 (Oprysko, 11/19)

The White House has offered shifting descriptions of President Donald Trump's medical exam in the days since he made an unscheduled Saturday visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump and White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham initially billed Trump's visit as the first part of the President's annual physical. But two days later, the President's doctor described the hospital visit as an "interim checkup," a term physicians told CNN implies a separate visit that is not part of an annual physical. (Diamond, 11/19)

Although there is nothing unusual about a president visiting the hospital for an annual physical, these events are typically announced on the president鈥檚 public schedule, and the White House press corps is given advance notice. Annual presidential physicals are not typically conducted in two parts. Trump had no events on his public schedule on Saturday when he made the hospital visit. His last physical was in February. (Egan, 11/19)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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