This Saturday afternoon, President Donald Trump held his second White House press conference covering the ongoing Coronavirus situation. To many observers, he seemed physically ailing enough to prompt mocking questions of whether or not he himself had come down with the illness. More directly, he simply yet again did not exactly inspire any feelings of confidence, because he did not sound like he was speaking with a basis in knowledge of the reality of the situation.
He began the press conference with a diversion into commentary about Afghanistan. A so-called “peace deal” was just signed by the Trump administration and Taliban, and the plan’s provisions include the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Trump commented:
‘It’s been a long journey in Afghanistan in particular. It’s been a very long journey. It’s been a hard journey for everyone. We’re very largely a law enforcement group, and that’s not what our soldiers are all about. They’re fighters. They’re the greatest fighters in the world. As you know, we’ve destroyed in Syria and Iraq 100 percent of the ISIS caliphate — 100 percent. We have thousands of prisoners. We’ve killed ISIS fighters by the thousands, and likewise in Afghanistan, but now it’s time for somebody else to do that work, and that’ll be the Taliban. And it could be surrounding countries.’
Trump on Afghanistan troop withdrawal: "I guess most of all I want to thank the people of the United States for having spent so much in terms of blood, in terms of treasure, and treasury. The money that has been spent, the lives that have been lost." pic.twitter.com/1n8ef321bM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 29, 2020
Throughout that diatribe and the rest of the press conference, Trump seemed — to some at least — physically off-balance, which wouldn’t exactly help the dismal at best case made by his repeated insistence that everything is fine, although just this weekend, the first U.S. death from Coronavirus was reported. Trump has claimed that coverage of the negative effects of the virus is just part of a conspiracy to make him look bad. So are those who’ve died part of the conspiracy too? Is the death a false flag operation by the deep state? These are the loony depths that these people are falling to.
Trump may have even bungled the basic fact of the demographic profile of the individual who died from the virus in the U.S. Trump said the victim was a woman, but Washington authorities originally identified them as a man.
President Trump says the 1st known case of an American dying of the novel coronavirus was a woman.
WA governor says, per state Department of Health and the King County (Seattle) Public Health Department, it was a man.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 29, 2020
Check out Twitter reactions:
Trump out of breath …HAS HE BEEN TESTED FOR COVID-19?????????
— Becky Blair 🌊🌊🌊 (@beckoh) February 29, 2020
Trump sounds sedated, he is breathing hard, slurring and talking about Afghanistan and the military. I thought this was supposed to be about Coronavirus. What the hell is happening.
— Sassy_Tiff ⚖️ (@tify330) February 29, 2020
Is he on drugs because he sounds drugged. https://t.co/IaGPKeFDRy
— Teri Carter (@teri_atthepaper) February 29, 2020
Trump’s out of breath just walking to the podium
— Laura Eva (@NerdyLaura) February 29, 2020
Trump sounds drunk.. breathless. Slurring …SOB…rambling at podium about Endless War….what the fuck is this ? #TrumpIsAnIdiot this was supposed to be a presser on health issues….#UNFIT ..1:53PM..
— enigma4ever 🌹🆘 🌊 🕊️🍑 (@watergatesummer) February 29, 2020
Why is Trump out so of breath?
— (((Charles Young))) (@CharlieYoungEsq) February 29, 2020
Trump's talking at a presser right now, he seems wasted again.
He's breathless and babbling.— Mona (@Monaheart1229) February 29, 2020
trump sounds short of breath and he just started.
— Doreen 🌊❄️☮️ (@reenie62) February 29, 2020
Sniff, sniff. Man, trump sounds terrible and is gasping for breath.
— Hiking2Colorado (@hiking2colorado) February 29, 2020
trump sounds like he’s having trouble breathing.
— LL (@LucyLyrical) February 29, 2020
