Trump eyes quick return despite illness

Infected and contagious, US President Donald Trump briefly ventured out in a motorcade on Sunday to salute cheering supporters, a move that disregarded precautions meant to contain the deadly coronavirus that has forced his hospitalization and killed more than 209,000 people in the United States.

Hours earlier, Trump's medical team reported that his blood oxygen level dropped twice suddenly in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick. Still, the doctors said Trump's health is improving and that he could be discharged as early as Monday.

With one month until election day, Trump was eager to project strength despite his illness. The still-infectious president surprised supporters who had gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, driving by in a black SUV with the windows rolled up. Secret Service agents inside the vehicle could be seen in masks and other protective gear.

The move capped a weekend of contradictions that fueled confusion about Trump's health, which has imperiled the leadership of the US government and upended the final stages of the presidential campaign.

In a short video released by the White House on Sunday, Trump insisted he understood the gravity of the moment. But his actions moments later, by leaving the hospital and sitting inside the SUV with others, suggested otherwise.

"This is insanity," Dr James P. Phillips, an attending physician at Walter Reed who is a critic of Trump and his handling of the pandemic. "Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential 'driveby' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die."

"For political theater," he added. "Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater."

White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump's trip outside the hospital "was cleared by the medical team as safe to do". He added that precautions were taken, including using personal protective equipment, to protect Trump as well as White House officials and Secret Service agents.

Joe Biden's campaign, meanwhile, said the Democratic presidential nominee again tested negative for coronavirus on Sunday. The results came five days after Biden spent more than 90 minutes on the debate stage with Trump. Biden, who has taken a far more cautious approach to in-person events, had two negative tests on Friday.

Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said on Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press that there was no interest in holding remote debates with Biden. The two remaining debates are scheduled for Oct 15 and Oct 22.

Kate Bedingfield, a deputy campaign manager for Biden, said on ABC's This Week on Sunday that the former vice-president, 77, was open to the debates continuing as scheduled, as long as proper health precautions are taken, and Trump's health permits.

Concerned agents

Even before Trump's motorcade outing on Sunday, some Secret Service agents had expressed concern about the lackadaisical attitude toward masks and social distancing inside the White House, but there isn't much they can do, according to some agents and officials. This close to the election, thousands of agents are engaged on protective duty so they can be subbed out quickly should someone test positive.

In all, nearly 7.4 million people have been infected in the US, and few have access to the kind of round-the-clock attention and experimental treatments as Trump.

Trump is 74 years old and clinically obese, putting him at higher risk of serious complications.

More than 35 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,033,837 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Agencies, Xinhua and Heng Weili in New York contributed to this story.