President Donald Trump called the media “sick” Tuesday after some reporters speculated about his health following an unscheduled visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
According to the White House, the president visited Walter Reed to conduct the first part of his annual physicals, which would be completed in January. However, the media speculated that the trip was a sign of bigger health issues with the president, given that it wasn’t previously listed on any White House schedule.
Earlier today on CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta said it’s “a bit curious” that Trump went to Walter Reed for an unannounced visit. The W.H. said it was for a physical. Gupta wondered if the medical team had time to plan for his visit. Did they know he was coming ahead of time? (1/2)
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 17, 2019
Trump’s health under scrutiny again after unplanned visit to Walter Reed https://t.co/COYXQX7bpe
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 19, 2019
Trump called out the media during a cabinet meeting Tuesday for elevating conspiracies about his health, claiming that it caused first lady Melania Trump to believe that there was something wrong with him. (RELATED: CNN’s Conspiracy Coverage Of Trump’s Supposed Health Scare Could Actually Be A Real Problem)
“I went for a physical and I came back. My wife said, ‘Darling are you okay? What’s wrong? Oh, they’re reporting you may have had a heart attack,'” Trump said. “I went, I did a very routine, just a piece of it, the rest of it takes place in January, did a very routine physical. Visited the family, visited a couple of groups … I toured the hospital for a little while. I was out of there very quickly.”
“I got back home, and I get greeted with the news that, ‘we understand you had a heart attack,'” the president continued.
Trump describing how his wife and his “PR” people were worried about him after his Walter Reed visit Saturday pic.twitter.com/v3VM5IiEr6
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) November 19, 2019
“These people are sick. They’re sick.” Trump asserted about the media. “And the press really in this country is dangerous.”
The media previously speculated about the president’s health during a press briefing about his annual physical in 2018. White House physician Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson told the press that the president was “in excellent health,” causing some to accuse Jackson of skewing the results of the physical or straight up fabricating the president’s medical record.