Donald Trump was hoarse throughout an extended telephone interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity on Thursdy, yet the US president insisted he was feeling great.
At one point, Trump lost his voice while accusing Democratic challenger Joe Biden of “choking like a dog” during their first presidential debate last week:
The president also struggled with his voice while discussing absentee ballots:
Although Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on October 1, he ducked a question about his testing and virus levels. Trump claimed he was in “great shape” and talked up his medication. He also said he wants to hold a campaign rally on Saturday:
At another point, Trump claimed Biden wants to tear down buildings and replace them with new buildings that have “tiny little windows, ok, little windows, so you can’t see out, you can’t see the light.”
Earlier on Thursday, Trump’s doctor issued a statement saying the president could resume “public engagements” by Saturday.
While Trump said he believes he’s no longer contagious, concerns about infection appeared to scuttle plans for next week’s presidential debate.
The White House provided no information to back up Trump’s claims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after the onset of systems, which for Trump was October 1 according to his doctors, suggesting he should not return to the road until Monday.
While reports of reinfection are rare, the CDC recommends that even people who recover from COVID-19 continue to wear a mask, stay distanced and follow other precautions.
The White House, meanwhile, continued to decline to share when Trump last tested negative for the virus — which would help pinpoint when he was infected. Strategic communications director Alyssa Farah said that information was Trump’s “private medical history.
Trump’s campaign and the White House are eyeing a visit to Pennsylvania on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday ahead of what was to have been next Thursday’s debate.
But the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that event would be held “virtually” in order to “protect the health and safety of all involved.” Trump swiftly rejected that offer, and his campaign later called on the commission to delay the final two debates by a week to alleviate concerns about an in-person contest.