One of the truly weird and unanswered questions of the Trump era is now resolved. But why was it ever a secret in the first place?
It was one of the great mysteries of his time in office. Why, exactly, did President Donald Trump make an unscheduled trip to Walter Reed National Medical Center one sunny Saturday afternoon in November 2019?
A wide range of conspiracy theories was birthed from that moment — It was a heart ailment! He had a stroke! An impeachment driven anxiety attack? — further fueled by the fact that a White House famous for leaks steadfastly refused to explain it. Indeed, aides themselves didn’t know. And those who did were incredibly tight-lipped about it. Until now.
In her tell-all book, former White House press secretary and chief of staff to the first lady Stephanie Grisham strongly implies that Trump went to Walter Reed for a routine colonoscopy as part of his annual physical. She never explicitly says so. But multiple former officials confirmed that that was, in fact, the reason.
Grisham’s book states that Trump made the decision to keep his visit under wraps because, she suspects, he didn’t want to be the “butt of the joke” on late night television. The book also states her belief that he avoided anesthesia for the painful and invasive procedure because he didn’t want Vice President Mike Pence to take over temporarily as commander-in-chief and loathed showing any kind of weakness.
Former White House aides say they’re surprised the detail never got out while Trump was president. After all, just about everything else eventually made its way into TV chyrons and newspaper headlines.
Instead, the moment became emblematic of another prominent feature of the Trump years: the president taking an otherwise normal event — in 2018, more than 19 million colonoscopies were performed in the U.S. alone — and turning it into something far larger and more controversial by his cryptic handling of it. In the process, it fed a destructive feedback loop: in which the White House operates in secrecy, the press gets motivated by it and the resulting speculation and reporting feeds a narrative of media irresponsibility.
Trump, a notorious germaphobe who is also obsessed with preserving an image of being in extremely top-notch health, went to immense lengths to hide word of his colonoscopy; so much so that few aides beyond Grisham, the president’s physician, and the chief of staff’s office were even made aware at the time of just why he went to the hospital.
The initial line offered to explain his two-hour visit was that he was simply going in for a routine check up. Grisham herself told reporters he was “taking advantage of a free weekend” — a half truth that would raise questions about her current account if not for the fact that others confirmed it.
……..
- Discussion
-
One of the truly weird and unanswered questions of the Trump era is now resolved. But why was it ever a secret in the first place?https://t.co/MkKRaOoadf
— POLITICO (@politico) October 7, 2021
In Tumpyland the king has to be perfect. Can’t even have anesthesia.
Diseased minds in the Trump cult from the god on down.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.