Donald Trump slams 'sick' CNN for scaring Melania by reporting he had a heart attack after unscheduled visit to Walter Reed
President Donald Trump denounced the media on Tuesday for worrying First Lady Melania Trump by suggesting he had suffered a heart attack following an unscheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center over the weekend.
Trump, while talking to the White House reporters during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said: "I went for a physical and came back. My wife said, 'Darling, are you Ok? What's wrong? Oh, they're reporting that you may have had a heart attack.'"
"I said, 'Why did I have a heart attack,'" Trump continued while paraphrasing his conversation with the first lady. "'Because you went to Walter Reed Medical Center.'"
Trump made an unscheduled visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday, sparking speculations about his health. There were reports that stated his visit was because of "chest discomfort."
Reports state that Trump blamed CNN for the rumors, however, the original tweet about his alleged chest discomfort originated from an opinion contributor for The Hill. Andrew Vernon, on Saturday night, tweeted: "#BreakingNews Sources tell me from Walter Reed the President was being checked out for chest discomfort. No other information is available at this time." The unsubstantiated tweet was then reported by Fox News outlets.
President Trump, however, shot down the rumors, claiming this visit to the hospital was just a routine check-up as part of his annual physical. He added that the rest of his physical examination would be completed after the new year.
"Visited a great family of a young man under major surgery at the amazing Walter Reed Medical Center. Those are truly some of the best doctors anywhere in the world," Trump posted to Twitter late Saturday night. "Also began phase one of my yearly physical. Everything very good (great!). Will complete next year."
Trump reiterated his statement on Tuesday while talking to reporters at the White House, saying: "I went, did a very routine… physical. I was out of there very quickly. I got back home, and I get greeted with the news: We understand you had a heart attack. I was called by our people in public relations: 'Sir, are you OK?' I said, 'OK from what?''
"'The word is you had a heart attack. CNN said you may have had a heart attack, you had massive chest pains, you went to the hospital','' Trump detailed words from his public relations office. "These people are sick. They're sick," the president asserted. "And the press really, in this country, is dangerous. We don't have freedom of the press in this country, we have the opposite. We have a very corrupt media. And I hope they can get their acts straight right now, because it's very, very bad and very, very dangerous for our country."