President Donald Trump’s chief of staff said on Saturday that his doctors had been “very concerned” about his condition, including a drop in oxygen levels, but that his condition had greatly improved afterwards.
• Read also: [EN VIDÉO] Trump says he is ‘much better’ and will be ‘back soon’
• Read also: Trump is ‘much better’, but the next few days are ‘the real test’
According to statements to Fox News by this official, Mark Meadows, there has never been a risk that Donald Trump, hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus, would have to cede power.
“His condition has improved dramatically since yesterday morning, a time when I know a number of us, the doctor and I, were very concerned,” Meadows said.
Mr Meadows’ comments came following a series of conflicting reports about the President’s health that created a climate of uncertainty over Mr Trump’s situation.
During the day, an anonymous source considered to be well informed about the state of health of the president – and later identified by American media as being none other than Mark Meadows – declared: “The vital signs of the president in the last 24 hours were very worrying, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of care ”.
“We still haven’t taken a clear path to recovery,” added the same source.
These remarks appeared to contradict a statement by White House doctors that the president was “very well”.
Mr Meadows appeared in his remarks to Fox News to explain that the comments about a worrying health condition applied to the previous day.
“Yesterday morning, we were really concerned (…) he had a fever and his oxygen level had dropped rapidly,” he told the channel.
However, “there was never the idea and never even the risk of a transfer of power,” said Meadows.
On Saturday evening, White House doctor Sean Conley said in a statement that “President Trump’s condition continues to develop well” and that “he has made substantial progress since the diagnosis.”
“Although (he) is not out of the woods just yet, the team remains cautiously optimistic,” said Dr Conley.
Mr Meadows expressed the same sentiment in his statements to Fox News, saying he was “very, very optimistic, based on the current results”.
Mr. Trump, who has been treated since Friday at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Bethesda, a suburb of Washington, said he was feeling “much better” and promised he would “be back soon”, in a video posted on Twitter on Saturday evening.