October 5 Trump Covid-19 news

By Helen Regan, Adam Renton, Steve George, Nick Thompson, Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Updated 2:57 p.m. ET, November 23, 2020
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12:01 a.m. ET, October 6, 2020

Our live coverage of President Donald Trump's coronavirus illness has ended for this evening.

  • For a wrap of today's events at the White House, read here.
  • For the latest coronavirus updates, read here.
10:22 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

Fauci "strongly suspicious" that experimental antibody treatment helped Trump fight Covid-19

From CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman

President Donald Trump received the experimental Regeneron antibody therapy on Friday -- which may have helped him fight off the worst effects of Covid-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday.

“It very well could have been that,” Fauci told CNN’s Chris Cuomo.

Monoclonal antibodies are one of the potential coronavirus treatments that scientists are “really quite optimistic about,” Fauci said.

“We've had experience with other diseases,” he said. “Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody was one of the two types of antibodies that was very successful with Ebola and the very fact that it was successful in Ebola, another very serious viral infection, had us be cautiously optimistic that monoclonal antibodies, which are a very specific protein, right, that the body makes that you can produce in very large amounts and infuse it into an individual by an IV infusion, has the potential to really be something very, very important in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.”

Regeneron’s coronavirus product is being tested in human trials, but it can be given to patients outside of clinical trials under the Food and Drug Administration’s compassionate use program.

“The President got that as a compassionate use, and whether or not it was that that got him better, I'm strongly suspicious that it was, but obviously you can't prove that until you do a number of studies that prove that it actually works,” Fauci said.

“It could have been he was naturally going to turn around,” he added. “If you're asking me my opinion, I think it made a difference.”

Trump was also given several infusions of the antiviral drug remdesivir, as well as the steroid dexamethasone.

9:51 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

Trump could have "a reversal" in his Covid-19 disease progression, Fauci says

From CNN’s Shelby Lin Erdman

CNN
CNN

President Trump isn’t out of the woods yet, and could experience “a reversal” in his Covid-19 disease progression, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“I’m not involved in his primary care,” Fauci told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Monday night. “But the issue is that he's still early enough in the disease that it's no secret that if you look at the clinical course of people sometimes, when you're five to eight days in, you can have a reversal,” Fauci said. 

“Reversal meaning going in the wrong direction and getting into trouble.”

Trump left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center late Monday afternoon to return to the White House, declaring he felt well.

“It's unlikely that it will happen, but they need to be heads up for it,” said Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force. “He knows it. The physicians know it. So they're going to keep an eye out on it. They're going to try and do that within the confines of the White House as opposed to in the hospital.”

Doctors know coronavirus patients can feel like they are improving, and then worsen.

“You're not out of it until you've gotten several days out and doing well, but he certainly does look very well. I mean you don't need me to tell you that. You saw the way he came out of the helicopter,” Fauci said.

Trump left Marine One on the White House lawn and climbed the stairs unaided into the White House – an unusual entry – stood, stripped off his mask, saluted and then entered the building.

“He looked like he was in pretty good shape,” Fauci said. 

9:39 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says she's "feeling great" after Covid-19 diagnosis

From CNN's Allie Malloy 

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" tonight said she is "feeling great" and has no symptoms after testing positive for coronavirus.

McEnany called it a "really nice moment" to see President Trump on the balcony this evening at the White House and said it shows America "will overcome," referring to Trump's made for TV publicity stunt as he arrived home from Walter Reed medical center and taped a political ad.

"I'm pleased to see that our commander in chief is doing well," McEnany said from what appeared to be her home. 

"Watching him on that balcony — just showing that we will overcome, America will overcome, just as he's overcoming this illness. I think was a really nice moment for our country to see," she said.

McEnany added that she was "very blessed" to have a mild, asymptomatic case of Covid-19. 

2:57 p.m. ET, November 23, 2020

Vice President Pence: Trump is "doing very well"

From CNN's Daniella Diaz

Vice President Mike Pence speaks to members of the media at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on October 5.
Vice President Mike Pence speaks to members of the media at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on October 5. Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Vice President Mike Pence told supporters Monday that President Trump was "doing very well" following his coronavirus diagnosis.

"I've spoken to the President, every day, and I must tell all of you that the President is doing very well. He has great spirits, and this is so grateful," Pence told supporters watching the Team Trump Online Operation MAGA kick off event.

He spoke about Wednesday night's debate, saying that he "can't wait to take the debate stage against Sen. Kamala Harris.

About the debate: Pence and Harris will be separated by acrylic glass at the debate, a source familiar with the preparations tells CNN.

The commission, along with medical consultants at the Cleveland Clinic, made the decision on Monday after studying the airborne nature of the virus and as the number of positive cases in the White House continued to grow.

CNN's Dan Merica contributed to this report.

8:38 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

Biden says he hopes to answer "before there's an interruption" at next debate with Trump

From CNN's Eric Bradner

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he got "frustrated" during his first debate with President Donald Trump, and regrets calling Trump a "clown." 

"I should have said, 'this is a clown undertaking,' instead of calling him a clown," Biden said at an NBC News town hall. 

He noted that the moderator of that debate, Fox News host Chris Wallace, said Trump had interrupted Biden or Wallace 158 times. 

“I was trying to figure out how I could possibly have him respect a debate, respect the evening, respect the moderator, and get us an opportunity to speak," he said. "The one thing that became absolutely clear: he didn't want to answer any of the questions. He did not want to talk about substance."

At their next debate, a town hall-style event scheduled to take place next week in Miami, Biden said: "I hope we at least have an opportunity to hear the question and answer the question directly before there's an interruption."

8:28 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

Biden says he "wasn't surprised" Trump was infected with coronavirus 

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at Jose Marti Gym on Monday in Miami.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at Jose Marti Gym on Monday in Miami. Andrew Harnik/AP

Joe Biden said Monday at the NBC News town hall that he wasn’t surprised President Donald Trump was infected with coronavirus. 

“Quite frankly, I wasn't surprised,” Biden told NBC’s Lester Holt. “For the last three months, three times a week, I'm on the telephone and on Zoom with some of the leading immunologists in the nation, and they go through everything that's happening. And so the idea that Covid does not spread in proximity when you don't have a mask on, when you're not socially dancing, when there's large groups of people, when you're inside in particular and even when you're outside, that's not surprising," Biden said.

Biden noted that more than 210,000 people in the US have died of coronavirus, and said “the expectation is if nothing changes, we're going to have another 200,000 dead by the end of the year. That's 400,000 dead, God forbid if that happens. That's more than were killed in one year in America than four years in World War II."

8:27 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

Trump releases campaign-style video shortly after arriving back at White House

From CNN's Allie Malloy 

After landing at the White House following his hospitalization at Walter Reed, President Trump taped a campaign-style video and tweeted it out. 

“We’re going back. We’re going back to work. We’re gonna be out front. As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there’s danger to it but I had to do it,” Trump said in the highly produced video, which he taped after reporters left the South Lawn. 

“I stood out front. I led. Nobody that’s a leader would not do what I did. I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger. That’s okay. And now I’m better and maybe I’m immune? I don’t know. But don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful," he said in the video, which was filmed within close proximity of White House staffers all without wearing a mask.

Of his battle with Covid-19, Trump said, “I learned so much about coronavirus. And one thing that’s for certain. Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it. We’re gonna beat it. We have the best medical equipment, best medicines.”

“I didn’t feel so good. Two days ago- I could have left two days ago. Two days ago, I felt great. Like better than I have in a long time… I said better than 20 years ago. Don’t let it dominate. Don’t let it take over your lives. “

As he landed at the White House, CNN reported that more than 210,000 people have died in the US from coronavirus. 

8:19 p.m. ET, October 5, 2020

Biden on Trump's tweet: "I hope no one walks away with the message thinking it's not a problem"

From CNN's Eric Bradner

Democratic nominee Joe Biden said in an NBC News town hall Monday night he was "very happy" that President Donald Trump "seems to be coming along pretty well." 

But, he said, he was concerned by Trump's tweet that Biden characterized as telling Americans, "don't be so concerned about this, essentially." 

"Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life," Trump had tweeted hours before he departed from the Walter Reed medical center

"You have about 1,000 people a day getting the coronavirus. It's a significant concern. I hope no one walks away with the message thinking it's not a problem," Biden said. "It's a serious problem. It's an international pandemic."

He said he hopes that the message from Trump's battle with the virus will be that Americans should wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

Biden said Trump bears responsibility for contracting coronavirus because he flouted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance.

"Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying, masks don't matter, social distancing doesn't matter, I think is responsible for what happens to them," Biden said of Trump. Holding up a mask, he said, "I view wearing this mask, not so much protecting me, but as a patriotic responsibility."