The US president shared two images, including one that appears to show him signing a blank piece of paper, in an apparent bid to quell fears over his health.
The picture was shared moments before he went out for a widely-criticised drive to wave at fans outside the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Washington DC. The stunt was branded ‘insane’ by a doctor at the hospital.
It was pointed out that the images, shot in different rooms, were taken 10 minutes apart from each other – suggesting the President posed for one photo, before moving to the other room to get a different shot without a jacket on.
His daughter Ivanka tweeted: ‘Nothing can stop him working for the American people. RELENTLESS.’
Visit our live blog for the latest updates Coronavirus news live
But there was widespread mockery of the images online, as #Staged trended on Twitter.
The editor-in-chief of Air Current, Jon Ostrower, said: ‘The photos released by the (White House) tonight of the president working at Walter Reed were taken 10 minutes apart at 5:25:59 pm and 5:35:40 pm ET Saturday, according to the EXIF data embedded in both @AP wire postings that were shared by the White House this evening.’
Historian Alex von Tunzelmann added that though it was amusing that the President is shown just a signing a piece of blank paper, the staging is not a ‘huge surprise’.
She said: ‘It’s genuinely appalling that he still won’t wear a mask. I hope his vanity hasn’t caused the photographer to be infected.’
Mr Trump has long been accused of lying and criticised for playing down the coronavirus crisis.
Another Twitter user added that the US is ‘really stupid if it buys these heavily staged lies’.
Speaking about Trump’s impromptu drive-by, Dr James Phillips, a Chief of Disaster Medicine, tweeted: ‘Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential “drive-by” just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity.’
He continued: ‘That Presidential SUV is not just bulletproof, however hermetically sealed versus chemical attack. The threat of COVID-19 transmission within is as high as it gets beyond medical treatments.
‘The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.’
Later, the President declared he had ‘learned a lot about covid’ by capturing the illness.
There have actually been contrasting reports about his real health along with tips that he might leave healthcare facility and go back to the White House as early as today.
The White House has actually confessed that the President has actually been offered oxygen two times.
Get in touch with our news group by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, inspect our news page.
MORE: Donald Trump briefly leaves healthcare facility to thank fans with surprise ‘drive-by’
Get your need-to-know
newest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more
