In his first video interview since being diagnosed with coronavirus over a week ago, President Donald Trump will reportedly receive a medical evaluation by Fox News’s medical expert Marc Siegel during “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
It’s not clear what the evaluation will entail, or whether it will alleviate concerns that many Americans have regarding Trump’s health status. The White House has kept quiet on a number of questions regarding the president’s current condition, and has not told the media whether he’s had a test for COVID-19 since announcing his initial diagnosis.
Many of Trump’s recent interviews with other Fox News personalities have left many viewers questioning whether he’s actually doing better, as the president has frequently claimed throughout the week. Speaking to Sean Hannity on Thursday night, Trump could be heard coughing and clearing his throat.
In spite of those symptoms, Trump told Hannity that he was doing “really good.” He also suggested his condition was improved enough that he may even hold a campaign rally in Florida on Saturday.
CNN health expert Sanjay Gupta said he was concerned after listening to Trump’s interview with Hannity that the president’s health was not improving.
Dexamethasone, the medication that Trump is taking, “usually acts as a very potent anti-inflammatory,” Gupta explained. “That could be masking whatever symptoms he does have, so as you start to take him off steroids, it’s worse.”
“He still sounds sick,” Gupta added.
The skepticism appears warranted, as White House physician Sean Conley admitted to reporters earlier this week that he had initially provided a rosier outlook than what was warranted when Trump was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center.
Voters overall do not trust Trump to provide an accurate portrayal of his health status. In a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll conducted earlier this month, just 39 percent said they viewed Trump’s words on his condition as trustworthy, while 52 percent said they could not trust what the president had to say on his health.
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