Trump denies suffering 'mini-strokes,' claims Pence was not put on presidential 'standby,' hits at CNN
A new book is reviving long-unanswered questions about President Trump's visit to Walter Reed military hospital last November, and Trump and his White House physician are issuing very specific denials.
"In reporting for this book, I learned that in the hours leading up to Trump's trip to the hospital, word went out in the West Wing for the vice president to be on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized," New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt writes in Donald Trump v. the United States. "Pence never assumed the powers of the presidency, and the reason for Trump's trip to the doctor remains a mystery."
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.
Trump tweeted late Tuesday that "Mike Pence was never put on standby, and there were no mini-strokes," and he visited Walter Reed "to complete my yearly physical." Last year, the White House claimed Trump was getting a head start on his physical, which he finished five months later. White House physician Dr. Sean Conley merely said Trump has not experienced or been evaluated for a stroke, mini-stroke, or acute cardiovascular emergency.
Neither Schmidt nor any reputable news organization had reported Trump had a stroke or "mini-strokes." But the Trump campaign did urge CNN to fire analyst Joe Lockhart for his "ludicrous and reckless speculation that President Trump had a stroke." Lockhart had tweeted from his personal account: "Did @realDonaldTrump have a stroke which he is hiding from the American public?"
None of this really sheds any light on why Trump visited the hospital for purported tests he could have undergone at the White House, Dr. Sanjay Gupta noted on CNN, and the history of Trump's doctor's notes don't inspire much confidence. Watch CNN's full report below. Peter Weber
-
Syria’s Kurds: abandoned by their US allyTalking Point Ahmed al-Sharaa’s lightning offensive against Syrian Kurdistan belies his promise to respect the country’s ethnic minorities
-
The ‘mad king’: has Trump finally lost it?Talking Point Rambling speeches, wind turbine obsession, and an ‘unhinged’ letter to Norway’s prime minister have caused concern whether the rest of his term is ‘sustainable’
-
5 highly hypocritical cartoons about the Second AmendmentCartoons Artists take on Kyle Rittenhouse, the blame game, and more
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
