Trump didn’t speak to reporters at the White House and only said “thank you very much" to those gathered at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center before boarding the presidential helicopter.
Back at the White House, he walked up the South Portico stairs to the balcony, where he removed his mask, flashed thumbs-up with both hands and saluted for several seconds.He did not appear to put his mask back on before walking into the residence.
The show of defiance toward both the virus and public health measures to combat its spread was in keeping with the president’s tone earlier when he announced he would leave the Bethesda, Maryland, hospital.“Don’t be afraid of Covid," he said in a tweet. “Don’t let it dominate your life."The president.