Reporters Have Meltdown Over President Trump’s Ride to Thank Walter Reed Supporters

 President Trump took a brief motorcade ride to thank supporters gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Sunday afternoon. The motorcade took a mask-wearing Trump down both sides of the divided road in front of the hospital complex, first going south on Rockville Pike in front of the media cameras and then turning around to ride northbound past supporters, with Trump waving and flashing a thumbs up. The ride served to show how well Trump is doing with his infection by the COVID-19 China coronavirus that put him in Walter Reed on Friday.

Screen image via Philip Crowther/Twitter.

As viewed in these photos, Secret Service agents in the driver’s and front passenger seats could be seen wearing PPE over the heads, faces and torsos as they do inside Walter Reed.

That did not stop reporters from having a meltdown over Trump’s short trip to thank supporters. Trump was accused by several reporters of endangering the agents.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak, “Seven months into global pandemic that’s killed 200,000 Americans, Trump says he now “understands” COVID after contracting it, and then immediately gets into a car with a least 2 other people to wave at people”

Washington Post “conservative” Jennifer Rubin with campaign advice for the Biden-Harris ticket,”‘ “Good thing Pence will be on debate stage on Wed so he can explain why Trump put secret service detail at risk for a vanity ride. Have you no decency Mr. VP? cc: @KamalaHarris”

“He is in the hospital for covid and he wants to infect his supporters??!???!?”

Bloomberg’s Jordan Fabian, “How many staff/USSS agents were potentially exposed to pull off this photo op?”

"President Trump took a short, last-minute motorcade ride to wave to his supporters outside and has now returned to the Presidential Suite inside Walter Reed," WH spokesman @JuddPDeere45 said

How many staff/USSS agents were potentially exposed to pull off this photo op?

— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) October 4, 2020

The New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher, “The Secret Service personnel put in an enclosed space with a contagious Trump for a photo op”

CNN’s MJ Lee, “Trump has gotten in a car so he can wave to supporters outside Walter Reed. As you can see from footage, this meant multiple agents riding in a car with Trump while he carries the coronavirus”

NBC’s Kate Snow, “t must be noted that this runs against every public health guideline. Someone positive with symptomatic Covid-19 is to isolate. Who drove the car? Were Secret Service officers with him?”

Minutes before his surprise trip outside, President Trump posted a video message from his suite at Walter Reed:

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1312870597513433088

UPDATE: White House Correspondents Association president Zeke Miller with the AP complained:

“It is outrageous for the president to have left the hospital — even briefly — amid a health crisis without a protective pool present to ensure that the American people know where their president is and how he is doing. Now more than ever, the American public deserves independent coverage of the president so they can be reliably informed about his health.”