'I feel great': Donald Trump takes off his mask and says COVID is 'going to disappear' in 17 minute speech to hundreds of fans at the White House - and displays band-aids on the back of his hand
Donald Trump took off his mask and told a crowd of hundreds of fans 'I'm feeling great' and the coronavirus is 'disappearing' in his first public event at the White House since both his COVID diagnosis and the Rose Garden 'superspreader' event.
The president spoke for just 17 minutes at his much-anticipated return to re-election campaigning which was organized in partnership with Candace Owens' Blexit group, a campaign urging black Americans to shift their support from Democrats to Republicans.
During the unusually short speech from Trump he laid into 'sleepy Joe', claimed he has achieved great things for black communities across America and hit out at Black Lives Matter protesters calling them 'leftwing fanatics'.
This marks the first major event at the White House since the 'superspreader' event in the Rose Garden on September 26 where Trump unveiled Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court pick and at least nine attendees later tested positive for the virus.
It comes as Trump vowed to get back to business as usual after being hospitalized last week for COVID-19, in defiance of social distancing and quarantine rules.
Trump took off his mask and told the crowd of hundreds of fans 'I'm feeling great' in his first public event at the White House since his COVID diagnosis
It was an unusually short speech for the president fueling speculation his claims that he is back to full health are overstated. Another tell-tale sign of his condition was the sight of the flesh-color bandages on his right hand
Trump walked out onto the White House balcony to the crowd of around 400 people Saturday as the Marine Band played 'Hail to the Chief'
The crowd of around 400 supporters donned Blexit DC Back the Blue t-shirts and MAGA caps as they descended on the White House in their droves to see the president hold his first event since his diagnosis
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Why did Trump have band-aids on his hand?
President Donald Trump has been spotted with band-aids on the back of his hand, suggesting he is receiving intravenous fluids despite claiming to be 'medication free' after his battle with coronavirus .
The flesh-colored bandages were seen on the back of Trump's right hand as he delivered remarks from a balcony at the White House to supporters on the South Lawn on Saturday.
The bandages were placed in a spot that is commonly used to deliver IV fluids or medications. Much less commonly, it could be used as a site to draw blood for tests, if veins in the arm were difficult to access, a medical expert told DailyMail.com.
The expert noted that it is possible the bandages were placed over an accidental cut or scratch, thought the location would be highly coincidental.
The president tested positive for the deadly virus last Thursday and was taken to hospital Friday when his condition worsened.
Medical experts think viral shedding continues for about 10 days after symptoms start in mild to moderate cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infected individuals are also told to quarantine for 14 days after testing positive.
Saturday marks only day nine since Trump was diagnosed with the virus, meaning he may still be contagious and could have risked more lives - such as those of event organizers and security - by demanding the event go ahead.
The White House has refused to say whether the president has tested negative for the virus.
The president was more than six feet away from supporters addressing them from the Blue Room balcony Saturday, but the crowds of around 400 were packed in below with little to no social distancing.
The Trump campaign also announced Saturday Trump will hold two more rallies in Pennsylvania and Iowa next week - on top of an event already planned for Monday in Florida.
Trump walked out onto the White House balcony just after 2 p.m. Saturday as the Marine Band played 'Hail to the Chief'.
He was sporting a white face mask that he quickly and theatrically removed as the crowd cheered and chanted 'USA! USA!'
Much of the crowd donned Blexit DC Back the Blue t-shirts and MAGA caps as they descended on the White House in their droves to see the president hold his first event since his health scare.
Most attendees were seen wearing masks after the White House instructed attendees to do so - a major aboutface for the Trump administration after the president vowed for months that he wouldn't wear a mask.
However, while many wore masks in the White House grounds, there was no social distancing and masks were nowhere in sight among the very same crowd of people in the hours leading up to the event as they penned in to The Ellipse for a Blexit rally just before the main event.
The president spoke for just 17 minutes at his much-anticipated return to re-election campaigning which was organized in partnership with Candace Owens' Blexit group, a campaign urging black Americans to shift from Democrats to Republicans
Trump gives his crowd a thumbs up as he insisted he felt 'great' at the event at the White House Saturday
During the unusually short speech from Trump he laid into 'sleepy Joe' and claimed he has achieved great things for black communities across America
While most were seen wearing masks in the grounds of the White House, masks were nowhere in sight among the very same crowd of people as they held a Blexit rally at The Ellipse just before the main event
Saturday marks only day nine since Trump was diagnosed with the virus, meaning he may still be contagious and could have risked more lives - such as those of event organizers and security - by demanding the event go ahead
Trump congratulated his record for supporting the black community saying he has 'done the most for the black community since Abraham Lincoln' and said black Americans need to support law enforcement
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Much of the crowd was white, despite the focus of the event being to win over the black community.
Trump insisted he was 'feeling great' after his four-day stint in the hospital and cocktail of experimental drugs.
'I'm feeling great... We're starting very big with our rallies... because we cannot allow our country to become a socialist country,' he told the crowd.
Trump claimed coronavirus is 'disappearing', despite the virus currently ravaging the US government including the president's own diagnosis last week.
His claims come despite official data showing the virus is far from 'disappearing' with more than 56,000 new cases reported across America Thursday - the biggest spike in infections since the first week of August.
Daily cases have been rising since mid-September and there is an increase in hospitalizations.
More than 213,000 Americans have now been killed and 7.6 million infected while grim new forecasts from John Hopkins University predict that the national death toll could almost double to about 400,000 by February as medical experts fear a second wave on the horizon.
Trump said a coronavirus vaccine would be 'out very soon' and he would 'eradicate the China virus very soon' as he hit out at 'unscientific lockdowns' put in place to slow the spread of the virus.
'Our opponents will crush the comeback with unscientific lockdowns,' he blasted.
He branded his event a 'peaceful protest' in a thinly-veiled jibe at Black Lives Matter protesters who have gathered nationwide in the wake of multiple cop killings of black people.
Trump laid into his Democratic rival Joe Biden calling him 'sleepy Joe' and saying he 'couldn't even say the words law enforcement the other day' as supporters chanted 'four more years'.
'Sleepy Joe Biden has betrayed Black and Latino Americans. If you think he can run this country, you're wrong,' Trump said.
During the unusually short speech from Trump he laid into 'sleepy Joe', claimed he has achieved great things for black communities across America and hit out at Black Lives Matter protesters calling them 'leftwing fanatics'
Trump waved to crowds who wore masks but didn't social distance at the event that he called a 'peaceful protest'
This marks the first major event at the White House since the 'superspreader' event in the Rose Garden on September 26 where Trump unveiled Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court pick
Trump has vowed to get back to business as usual after being hospitalized last week for COVID-19, in defiance of social distancing and quarantine rules, sparking fears of further outbreaks at the White House
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He also accused Biden of wanting to defund the police. Biden has said on several occasions that he does not support defunding the police.
Trump then went on to say black communities should support law enforcement.
'You understand that to protect the lives of black Americans, and all Americans, we must support our police,' he said.
He blasted 'the left' for ' a nationwide crusade against law enforcement' and mocked BLM demonstrators.
'Biden likes to call them peaceful protesters,' Trump said to the crowd who responded with boos.
'Where there is evidence of wrongdoing by police, the criminal justice system must investigate and any perpetrators must be held accountable. But we must never allow mob rule,' he said.
He went on to congratulate his own record for supporting the black community saying he has 'done the most for the black community since Abraham Lincoln'.
In 1989, Trump paid for advertisements in four New York City newspapers calling for the death penalty for the Central Park Five - five black teens who were wrongly convicted of rape and were later exonerated.
His more recent record with ethnic minorities has seen the president accused of calling Mexicans 'rapists' and calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
At one point in Saturday's speech, Trump veered off track to talk about fracking briefly claiming Biden will 'ban fracking', another statement Biden has repeatedly said is not true.
Trump went on to voice his confidence that he will win the election in November saying he had 'great polls' in several states.
At one point in Saturday's speech, Trump veered off track to talk about fracking briefly claiming Biden will 'ban fracking', another statement Biden has repeatedly said is not true
Trump walked back inside the White House as the Marine Band played 'God Bless America' after speaking for just over 15 minutes. It was an unusually short speech for the president fueling speculation his claims of being back to full health are overstated
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Supporters of line up to enter the White House before the event where Trump said black communities should support law enforcement and called BLM protesters 'leftwing fanatics'
Trump fans line up to enter the grounds for the event where they were instructed to wear masks
Dr. Scott Atlas was spotted walking across the South Lawn at the White House not wearing a mask at the event
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks to Trump supporters gathered on the South Lawn of the White House
Meadows, who was wearing a mask, has so far tested negative for coronavirus while much of Trump's inner circle have been struck down with the virus
'We got a great poll in Florida. We got a great poll in North Carolina... We got a great poll in Nevada... Georgia is looking fantastic. Texas is looking fantastic... We got a great poll in Texas and great polls all over the place and they understand that,' he said.
After around just 15 minutes, Trump ended his speech urging people to vote and telling his supporters 'I love you'.
'This is the single most important election in the history of our country. Get out and vote, and I love you,' he said.
Trump then walked back inside the White House as the Marine Band played 'God Bless America.'
It was an unusually short speech for the president fueling speculation his claims that he is back to full health are overstated.
Another tell-tale sign of his condition was the sight of the flesh-color bandages on his right hand, presumably where he has received intravenous injection - again casting some doubt on claims he is 'medication-free'.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was so seen at the event speaking to supporters on the South Lawn.
Meadows, who was wearing a mask, has so far tested negative for coronavirus. Dr. Scott Atlas was also spotted on the lawn however he did not wear a mask.
Jared Kushner was seen - wearing a mask - crossing the Palm Room at the White House, though it is not clear if he attended the event.
One supporter who had traveled from California to the event said it felt like more of a 'celebration' than a campaign rally.
'You know what, we heard that we're gonna be out here to back the blue and our family is very pro police officer, law enforcement, law and order. So we had to come out here and do our part,' said Yolanda de la Torre.
'It felt a little bit like a celebration to me.'
Hundreds of maskless people sporting MAGA caps and waving American flags flocked to Washington DC Saturday for the Blexit rally at The Ellipse before they headed to the White House where most then masked up
Supporters of President Donald Trump rally at The Ellipse, before heading to The White House
Hundreds of people had arrived for the rally around an hour before the event's start, with many dressed in blue shirts from the Blexit DC Back the Blue event already on the South Lawn
Hundreds of people sporting MAGA caps and waving American flags flocked to Washington DC late Saturday morning ahead of the event on the White House South Lawn kicking off at 2 p.m.
They arrived for a rally at The Ellipse before Trump's event early afternoon.
Many were dressed in blue shirts for the Blexit DC Back the Blue event, where they were packed in close together flouting social distancing and not wearing masks.
After the Blexit rally, attendees shared food, passing round pizza stoking more concerns of spreading the virus.
They then headed to The White House for Trump's first public event since he vowed to get back on the campaign trail on his release from hospital.
More than 2,000 invitations were sent out to Trump supporters requesting their attendance at the South Lawn event, fueling concerns of yet another coronavirus outbreak originating at the seat of the US government.
Officials said the rally was an 'official event' not a campaign event and no campaign staff were involved.
The White House said precautions had been put in place to limit the risk of an outbreak and members of the press were tested for coronavirus on entry at the White House.
No campaign signs and banners were distributed to supporters by officials in order to limit contact.
Attendees were also told they would be given temperature checks on arrival, masks which they are instructed to wear, and access to hand sanitizer.
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More than 2,000 invitations were sent out to Trump supporters requesting their attendance at Saturday's event
People shared pizza and shunned masks after a rally at The Ellipse, before entering the White House for Trump's event
Attendees for the White House event were told they would be given temperature checks on arrival, masks which they are instructed to wear, and access to hand sanitizer
Trump's rival Biden said Saturday he hoped the president would ensure his supporters social distanced and wore masks at the event.
'I think it's important the president makes sure of two things,' Biden told reporters in Delaware as he headed off to his event in Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon.
'One, that he is clear, he is not a spreader like his, like Dr. Fauci said the superspreader event he had for the Supreme Court announcement.
'And secondly, I think it's important that he make it clear to all the people that they should be socially distanced, they can be on the lawn, that's fine.
'But in fact, they should be socially distanced and wearing masks. That's the only responsible thing to do. And I don't know what's going on at the moment now, but I hope he does that.'
Biden said he had tested negative again for the virus that morning.
He also refused to answer whether the Democrats will pack the court if Trump manages to appoint Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court before the election saying Republicans are packing the court 'right now'.
The September 26 nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court became a COVID superspreader event
At least 100 people were in attendance Saturday in the White House Rose Garden. So far, at least nine people including the President and First Lady have tested positive for coronavirus
First lady Melania Trump, who tested positive for COVID-19 after the event, was seated next to one of Barrett's children at the event
'Look, the only court packing is going on right now. It's going on with the Republicans packing the court now. It's not constitutional what they're doing,' he said.
'We should be focused on what's happening right now. And the fact is that the only packing going on is this court is being packed now by the Republicans after the vote has already begun. I'm going to stay focused on it so we don't take our eyes off the ball here.'
Trump has been plowing ahead with his nomination to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat, who died last month.
Democrats - as well as some Republicans - have insisted the seat must not be filled until after the election.
The crux of the debate centers around the move made by Republicans back in 2016 - and led by McConnell - to block then-President Barack Obama from appointing a new justice to the court nine months before the election.
Their argument at the time was that the position should not be filled until a new president was elected by the American people - a standard set by the Republicans that the Democrats now argue the party must continue to honor.
The Trump campaign also announced Saturday the president will hold two more MAGA rallies next week.
Trump is seen at his desk - not wearing a mask - in the Oval Office of the White House Wednesday
Donald Trump gives a thumbs up after returning to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday
Trump bidding farewell to doctors and medical staff before departing Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Monday
The president left the hospital Monday and returned to the White House claiming to be 'cured' of the virus
Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House after disembarking Marine One Monday. Trump would not confirm that he has tested negative for coronavirus Friday
He will hold a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday and in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday.
Trump's campaign earlier announced he was going to Sanford, Florida, for a rally Monday.
Nine attendees at his last rally in Bemidji, Minnesota, have now tested positive for the virus with two people in the hospital.
Last Friday, Trump was transported to Walter Reed hospital in Washington, DC, after he tested positive for the virus late Thursday.
Trump has since left hospital and returned to the White House claiming to be 'cured' of the virus.
On Friday, Trump said he was no longer taking the powerful steroid Dexamethasone, which some medical experts had warned can have psychological side effects including confusion and aggression.
The CDC recommends the drug is only used to treat coronavirus where a patient is admitted on supplemental oxygen or requires ventilation.
'I tolerated it very well, I don't take it anymore. It was pretty short term,' Trump told Fox News in a pre-taped interview that aired Friday night.
'I feel really, really strong,' he said.
He then said he was 'medication free, I'm not taking any medications as of eight hours ago' but then contradicted himself moments later saying 'I think pretty much nothing.'
Earlier Friday Nancy Pelosi said Trump is 'clearly under medication' and claimed he is an 'altered state' as she rolled out legislation that would set up a commission under the 25th Amendment to weigh whether a president is incapacitated.
Trump would not confirm whether he has tested negative for coronavirus saying: 'I have been retested. I haven't even found out numbers or anything yet. I know I'm either at the bottom of the scale or free.'
When asked what his two most prominent symptoms were when he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday, Trump said he didn't have trouble breathing - despite his doctors confirming he was placed on supplemental oxygen.
'I didn't feel strong, didn't feel really strong. I didn't have a problem with breathing, which a lot of people have, I didn't have a problem with that,' Trump said.
'But I didn't feel very strong, I didn't feel very vital like the President of the United States should feel.'
Trump said he did not know where he had contracted the virus, adding: 'It's highly contagious. That's one thing you learn, this is a contagious disease.'
At least 34 people in Donald Trump's inner orbit have now tested positive for the virus according to a leaked memo.
At least nine cases among people who attended the 'superspreader' event at the White House on September 26 where the president officially announced Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court pick.
Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien and Former adviser Kellyanne Conway, two senators - Mike Lee from Utah and Thom Tillis from North Carolina - plus the president of Notre Dame university, John Jenkins, are some of those to test positive after attending the event.
The gathering attracted around 100 people - many of them not wearing face masks and all sitting close.
Dr. Tony Fauci, the top disease expert, said the event was a 'superspreader'.
'I think the — the data speaks for themselves,' he told CBS News Radio on Friday.
'We had a superspreader event in the White House and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks.'
