New book raises more questions about Trump's mysterious visit to Walter Reed last year


Last November, right before President Trump took an unscheduled trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Vice President Mike Pence was told that he needed to be ready to temporarily assume the powers of the presidency, New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt writes in his new book, Donald Trump v. The United States.
Schmidt said that while reporting for the book, he learned that in the hours before Trump's trip to the hospital, "word went out in the West Wing" that Pence had to be on standby in case "Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized." Pence did not end up having to assume the powers of the presidency, but Schmidt's book raises new questions about why Trump had to go to the hospital.
At the time, then-White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham claimed Trump had a "free weekend" and elected to "begin portions of his routine annual physical exam." Presidents do not normally conduct their physicals in stages, and a person familiar with the matter told CNN in November that Trump's visit did not follow protocol. There was never any staff-wide notice sent about a "VIP" coming in, the source said, indicating that the trip was not routine or planned in advance. CNN asked the White House on Monday for a comment on Schmidt's book, but the request was declined.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Cracks appear in MAGA's pro-Israel front
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the world watches a humanitarian crisis unfold across Gaza, some of Israel's most staunchly conservative defenders have begun speaking out against its actions in the occupied territories
-
5 cultural trails to traverse by car
The Week Recommends Leave the hiking shoes at home
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein