On Sunday’s CNN Newsroom, host Ana Cabrera and her colleagues continued the days-long temper tantrum over the state of President Trump's health, showing utter dismay his state hadn't taken a turn for the worse. For this meltdown, Cabrera had assembled White House correspondents Kaitlan Collins and Jeremy Diamond, and senior political analyst David Gergen to freak out over Trump’s public appearance outside the gates of Walter Reed Medical Center.
Expressing little concern over the President’s health, the ghoulish hacks accused Trump of jeopardizing the health of his Secret Service agents and Gergen claimed that Trump only made the appearance because “he wants to be at the center of attention.” Not only after the appearance, video had shown (and later confirmed by the White House) that the agents aboard Trump's SUV wore full PPE.
Instead of worrying about the health of the leader of the free world, Diamond began the segment by accusing Trump of jeopardizing the health of others for “PR”:
But at the same time you have to wonder, you know, what -- what was the risk benefit analysis that was done here? I mean, you know, it seemed like the Secret Service agents who were driving the President in that motorcade, they appeared to be wearing those N-95 respirator masks on their faces but that was it. You know -- you know -- the President right now while he is at Walter Reed, we've been told by Dr. Conley and others, that they enter those rooms with the full suite of protective gear on them and -- and -- and that's not just an n-95 mask but it’s presumably goggles or some kind of a face shield and -- and gloves, you know, and something over -- over their entire bodies.
So, you know, the President here is to a certain extent putting these Secret Service agents drive who are driving him and who are in the vehicle with him at some degree of higher risk. Obviously they're mitigating that risk to a certain extent by wearing these N-95 respirators on their faces. But I do think that's something we should note as the President does this for a PR and kind of publicity value as -- as well.
Or you know, maybe the President wanted the American people, our allies, and enemies to know that he's alive and well. Of course, Diamond hasn't been concerned about the health of the President since he celebrated Trump contracting COVID by declaring that “his lies coming back to bite him” caused him to get sick.
Cabrera also disgustingly did not seem to care much for the President’s wellbeing and groused that Trump was “putting those Secret Service drivers and members who are protecting him in this moment at risk.”
Gergen proclaimed the appearance was “classic Trump” and he only made the appearance because he wanted “attention”: "It's classic, classic Donald Trump, isn't it? You know, he -- he does want to be the star of any show or he wants to be at the center of attention."
He also complained about the President supposedly putting others at risk and did not seem to be worried about Trump himself being sick:
There is -- there is this question, I think, that Jeremy raises about putting others at risk in order to -- to advance your own cause. And well I, it's -- it’s hard to know where to go with it, Ana, except it is -- it is so classic -- I -- I -- I would have thought it should be done with great care and the best thing to do is finish up his initial treatments.
Collins alleged that Trump made the appearance because he did not like what others were “saying” about his condition and attacked him for wearing a cloth mask instead of a N-95 mask:
But this is what happens when you don't like what the people who are speaking for you are saying. And that's what our reporting has shown about the President and now we're seeing it play out in real time because he's coming out and he’s trying to take the message into his own hands to project to his supporters standing outside of Walter Reed that he is okay because he wanted to be seen by them. And I guess they decided that this is the way that the President wanted to do it because he's clearly been unhappy with what his doctor has been saying about his condition. We can see that by how cagey Dr. Conley was being. But also we know he was infuriated by what the Chief of Staff did yesterday by telling reporters that he had very concerning systems and had no clear path to full recovery at that point, 24 hours ago.
Now the President, who often does try to take the message into his own hands, is doing that here. Though of course, now he's got an infectious disease, a highly contagious disease, and now he’s riding in the car. And what I noticed, you know, we're talking about whether he's putting those people in the car with him at risk, those agents, the President appears to be wearing a cloth mask, if you’re looking at this image, while those in the front seat, the agents appear to be wearing those medical-grade masks. It appears to be an n-95 potentially. So that raises questions. Why would the President not be wearing a medical grade mask since we know that he does have COVID and could be contagious to those in the car with him?
Now that CNN can no longer complain about Trump not wearing masks, it must assault him for the type of mask that he wears.
CNN hates Trump so much that it will attack him even for how he handles his battle with COVID.
This hatred was sponsored by Applebee’s and Masimo. Let them know here what you think about them sponsoring this content.
Read the full October 4th transcript here:
CNN Newsroom
10/04/20
5:28:36 PMANA CABRERA: Let's go back live to Jeremy Diamond live again outside Walter Reed Medical Center where the President just passed by in that SUV moments ago. Jeremy, do you know where he is now? Where did he go?
JEREMY DIAMOND (CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT): You know, presumably the President is -- went back to Walter Reed. They have opened the street here back up to traffic, which suggests that the President isn't going to come by again or at least not right now. So presumably he's back inside of Walter Reed. I would note that that video he sent out, he's announcing the surprise, obviously, it -- it was posted, it seems, right at the moment when his SUV, his presidential motorcade actually arrived here on scene. Obviously for security reasons they wouldn't want to disclose that the President is about to make a -- a -- a movement in public. But obviously I'm sure Secret Service and -- and the people protecting him had some concerns. We saw several of the Secret Service officers in tactical gear walking alongside the motorcade as well because he is in very close proximity to the people who -- members of the public who are out here on the street. One thing I would note though of course -- you know -- obviously we’ve talked about the element to which this is the President trying to send a signal to the public and to the world that he is doing all right. But at the same time you have to wonder, you know, what -- what was the risk benefit analysis that was done here? I mean, you know, it seemed like the Secret Service agents who were driving the President in that motorcade, they appeared to be wearing those n-95 respirator masks on their faces but that was it. You know -- you know -- the President right now while he is at Walter Reed, we've been told by Dr. Conley and others, that they enter those rooms with the full suite of protective gear on them and -- and -- and that's not just an n-95 mask but it’s presumably goggles or some kind of a face shield and -- and gloves, you know, and something over -- over their entire bodies. So, you know, the President here is to a certain extent putting these Secret Service agents drive who are driving him and who are in the vehicle with him at some degree of higher risk. Obviously they're mitigating that risk to a certain extent by wearing these n-95 respirators on their faces. But I do think that's something we should note as the President does this for a PR and kind of publicity value as -- as well.
CABRERA: That's a really good point, Jeremy and it is very fitting because this president -- we know how much he loves to put on a show. Loves to create surprises to make good TV. Let me bring back in David Gergen as we sort of digest what we just witnessed -- this unexpected moment in which the President drove by in an SUV to say hello to his supporters, give them a good wave. Jeremy did make a good point there David Gergen. That one, we know the President is not 100%, clearly, as he's continuing to battle the coronavirus and has been very ill along the course of his coronavirus journey. It was good to hear him in that video sounding a little bit stronger and looking good in this image as -- as well. However, he's putting those Secret Service drivers and members who are protecting him in this moment at risk.
DAVID GERGEN (CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST): Yes. It's classic, classic Donald Trump, isn't it? You know, he -- he does want to be the star of any show or he wants to be at the center of attention. He does have admirers out there, obviously people have come -- gathered. He is, I'm sure cheering them on and sending a message to the rest of his base, look I’m -- I'm in this fight. I mean, that's not only a message about today, tomorrow, or the next few days, that’s the message of someone who’s running for president and he wants to be back in the action as soon as he can. And I think, you know, I -- I -- think it's up to the doctors to tell us, is this reckless or not? Is this something you all would have approved of or did he just it on his own? We -- it would be helpful to know more but I doubt we'll hear anything more until tomorrow. This -- I think he's -- he's achieved what he wanted and that is a real surprise. And I must say in that video, he was stronger than we've seen him in the last couple of days. And he looked more himself. He looked like he was back on his feet and ready and raring to go. And I just think the raring to go -- what he really lives on is his sense of being strong, being tough, being able to take it and -- and exciting people by that kind of sense of toughness and I can do what no one else can do.
CABRERA: David, if you were advising him because as we always discuss, you have advised four other presidents, would you have thought this was a good idea?
GERGEN: I think I would have been skeptical. I -- the first and foremost issue here is the President's own health and -- and not putting him in a -- in a place which is dangerous. There is -- there is this question, I think, that Jeremy raises about putting others at risk in order to -- to advance your own cause. And well I, it's -- it’s hard to know where to go with it, Ana, except it is -- it is so classic -- I -- I -- I would have thought it should be done with great care and the best thing to do is finish up his initial treatments. Come back -- get back to the White House and then make -- make his first appearance in about three or four days from now. I can tell you when Ronald Reagan was shot and I was there, we waited. We waited a fairly long time before he was seen in public again. And he then was -- he -- he had a couple pictures taken at the windows of the hospital with Nancy and waving to people, but it -- we -- he was very cautious about that comeback. Instead, he waited actually for his real comeback. First time he came out and spoke to the public, we arranged a joint session of Congress and he came in to wild cheering from members of Congress and he got in front of them and said now pass my bill and he got huge legislation passed as a result.
CABRERA: Let me bring in Kaitlan Collins who’s joining us from the White House right now. Kaitlan, any reaction from there?KAIITLAN COLLINS (CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT): Well, let’s say that the White House called a lid several hours ago. That's what typically happens when the President is not going to have any more events. That means the reporters who are typically supposed to be with the President if he goes anywhere, even on a drive like this, were not there at Walter Reed for this trip. We obviously had zero heads up about it since we only found out about 20 seconds before the President tweeted this out and then he started -- then we saw the images of him on this ride greeting these supporters. But this is what happens when you don't like what the people who are speaking for you are saying. And that's what our reporting has shown about the President and now we're seeing it play out in real time because he's coming out and he’s trying to take the message into his own hands to project to his supporters standing outside of Walter Reed that he is okay because he wanted to be seen by them. And I guess they decided that this is the way that the President wanted to do it because he's clearly been unhappy with what his doctor has been saying about his condition. We can see that by how cagey Dr. Conley was being. But also we know he was infuriated by what the Chief of Staff did yesterday by telling reporters that he had very concerning systems and had no clear path to full recovery at that point, 24 hours ago. Now the President, who often does try to take the message into his own hands, is doing that here. Though of course, now he's got an infectious disease, a highly contagious disease, and now he’s riding in the car. And what I noticed, you know, we're talking about whether he's putting those people in the car with him at risk, those agents, the President appears to be wearing a cloth mask, if you’re looking at this image, while those in the front seat, the agents appear to be wearing those medical-grade masks. It appears to be an n-95 potentially. So that raises questions. Why would the President not be wearing a medical grade mask since we know that he does have COVID and could be contagious to those in the car with him? I mean, it's kind of remarkable just to see images of the President driving by his own supporters.
