Getty/Amazon Trump wanted to 'appear frail' before ripping open shirt to reveal the Superman logo while exiting Walter Reed.
President Donald Trump spoke publicly on October 10 for the first time since testing positive for the coronavirus. A mere five days since the president was discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center, Trump spoke from the Blue Room balcony to a crowd of his supporters on the South Lawn.
While an energetic, albeit “markedly brief” speech from The White House was sure to bring media attention, The New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump wanted to pull a huge “stunt” when he first left the hospital on Monday.
According to Maggie Haberman and Annie Karni, the president wanted to trick viewers, recreating a scene reminiscent of Gene Wilder’s infamous entrance as Willy Wonka in the original 1971 film. They wrote:
“In several phone calls last weekend from the presidential suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Mr. Trump shared an idea he was considering: When he left the hospital, he wanted to appear frail at first when people saw him, according to people with knowledge of the conversations. But underneath his button-down dress shirt, he would wear a Superman T-shirt, which he would reveal as a symbol of strength when he ripped open the top layer. He ultimately did not go ahead with the stunt.”
Even though Trump did not rip off his shirt ala the fictional character Clark Kent in Superman, the 74-year-old president has been called out for trying to appear like Superman by Australia Sky News host Peter Gleeson. New York Times reporter Thomas L. Friedman wrote an op-ed entitled, “Trump’s not Superman. He’s Superspeader.”
The Hills’s op-ed writer Sharyl Attkinson published a very similar piece on October 7, “Trump: From ‘super spreader’ to Superman?” After The New York Times article was published on Saturday, “Willy Wonka” started trending nationally under the politics tab on Twitter.
you know I always imagined that if willy wonka was trending on twitter because of me it’d be for a completely different reason than this
Many of Trump’s supporters, however, do see the president’s quick return to The White House as being like Superman. There’s even a shirt of him appearing as Clark Kent available for sale on Amazon.
Trump’s Hoarse Voice ‘Gave Out’ During Call With Sean Hannity on October 8
On October 5, Trump made his first call into Fox News since his hospitalization, and while speaking with Sean Hannity, he did not sound like a man with superhero powers. At one point in the conversation, his hoarse voice ‘gave out’ entirely, Vox journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted. Trump was talking about “oscillating” his mic during his debates with Hillary Clinton in 2016 when his voice grew increasingly raspy and he had to pause to clear his throat.
Yikes. Trump’s voice is extremely hoarse and at one point gave out.
During the conversation, Trump refused to answer when he last tested positive for COVID-19 but said he planned on attending his scheduled rally in Florida on Saturday night, along with Sunday night’s rally in Pennsylvania. “I feel so good,” Trump told Hannity. But he again struggled not to cough while discussing absentee ballots.
On Thursday, the president’s physician Sean P. Conley put out a statement that Trump “has completed his course of therapy for COVID-19,” and that he will be able to “return to public engagements” on Saturday.
In an interview when he repeatedly paused to cough or catch his breath, Trump says he wants to resume campaign travel in days and won’t say when he’s been tested. Trump has not been seen independently in person since returning from the hospital on Monday night.
The CDC states that people infected with COVID-19 need to wait 10 days after their symptoms first appeared, be fever-free for 24 hours with no medication and show improvement in symptoms before safely being around other people.
MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes remains wary of Conley’s reports. After hearing Trump’s call with Hannity, he tweeted, “I don’t think at this point there is any reason to give face value credence to the White House or president’s doctors’ pronouncements about either the timeline of his illness or his current status.”
Trump Appeared to Have Trouble Breathing Outside the White House, Causing Speculation About the President’s Health
Coronavirus in Chief, Trump takes off mask as he returns to WH.
Trump was discharged from the hospital on Monday. He tweeted, “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. … I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
The president also said his illness would not derail his campaign efforts. He tweeted, “Will be back on the Campaign Trail soon!!! The Fake News only shows the Fake Polls.”
Aside from concern for the safety and wellbeing of White House staffers with Trump’s return, Twitter users commented on how Trump appeared to have trouble breathing after removing his mask. One person tweeted, “Closeup video of trump on the balcony clearly shows that he is still having difficulty breathing.”
Did anyone else take note that @realDonaldTrump was struggling to breath when he got to the top of the @WH stairs? That’s why he stood there for so long. He was struggling.
Numerous people on Twitter commented on Trump’s breathing after he walked up the White House steps. One person tweeted, “I know what it’s like not to be able to breath. More asthma attacks than I can count. When I watch the tape of Trump getting back to the White House…I am willing to bet he is still having breathing issues & will be back at Walter Reed shortly. Can’t believe a word he says.”
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