President Trump, who has been hospitalized with coronavirus at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Friday, got into a vehicle on Sunday evening, accompanied by Secret Service members, and drove around the facility, waving at supporters gathered outside.
Trump sat in the back of the SUV, wearing a black cloth mask. There were at least two Secret Service agents in front of him, and both donned N95 masks. It's unclear if there was a partition in the vehicle, The New York Times reports, which would have added extra protection for the occupants inside not infected with the virus.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump's decision to leave the hospital and drive around came at the "last minute," and reporters on site confirmed that they were not briefed ahead of time. White House officials said after his jaunt, Trump returned to his hospital suite.
Trump's doctors have delivered confusing messages about his condition. As of Sunday, physicians have said Trump received supplemental oxygen at least once after his blood oxygen level dropped, and he has also received dexamethasone, a steroid usually given to COVID-19 patients who are seriously ill. They also said Trump is doing well and they are hopeful he will be released on Monday. Catherine Garcia