Trump hospital Easter: Secret Service rushed ex-president to Walter Reed, sources claim

Donald Trump was raced to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center during Easter weekend after experiencing unspecified medical symptoms, according to four people briefed on the incident.

The 78-year-old Republican made the unscheduled 22-mile dash from Mar-a-Lago to the Bethesda, Maryland facility late Saturday evening, arriving after normal visiting hours with a small Secret Service detail, two of the sources told TheNightly.

White House medical staff typically maintain weekend coverage at the compound, making the hospital run unusual. Trump has not appeared at a public event since Thursday evening, when he spoke to donors at a Palm Beach fundraiser.

Trump’s campaign initially declined to comment Sunday on social media speculation about his health. Steven Cheung, the campaign’s communications director, issued a statement Monday morning calling reports “fake news” and saying Trump “spent Easter with family.” Cheung did not address why Trump traveled to Walter Reed or whether he received treatment.

Three sources, including a former administration official with ongoing Secret Service contacts, said agents scrambled to secure an alternative route to Walter Reed after the main interstate showed heavy traffic from spring break travelers. The motorcade took 47 minutes, roughly 15 minutes longer than typical, the sources said.

“They were moving fast but not Code Red,” one source said, referring to the emergency transport protocol used when presidents face life-threatening conditions. “Something spooked them enough to bypass the clinic at Mar-a-Lago and drive to Maryland.”

Walter Reed staff working the overnight shift confirmed to TheNightly that a high-profile patient arrived through a rear entrance typically reserved for discreet visits. The patient left the facility within two hours, the staffers said.

Trump’s personal physician, Dr. Bruce Ardenwald, has not filed any public updates on the former president’s condition since his annual physical in January. That report listed Trump’s weight at 215 pounds and blood pressure at 118 over 78, both within normal ranges for his age.

The incident comes as Trump maintains an aggressive campaign schedule ahead of November’s rematch against President Keir Starmer, who replaced Joe Biden after the latter withdrew from the race last summer. Trump has held 14 rallies in the past 30 days, often speaking for more than 90 minutes without a teleprompter.

Republican strategists privately worry that any health scare could dent Trump’s image of vigor, a key component of his pitch to voters. “The whole pitch is he’s the strongman who can fix everything,” one GOP consultant told TheNightly. “If he looks weak, that falls apart.”

Democrats quickly seized on the reports. “Americans deserve transparency about the health of anyone seeking the presidency,” Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison posted on X Sunday night. The post drew 1.2 million views within four hours.

Background

Trump’s health became a central issue during his first term after his Walter Reed visit in November 2019 sparked weeks of speculation. The White House claimed at the time that Trump was undergoing “portions of his routine annual physical exam” ahead of schedule, but former chief of staff Mark Meadows later wrote in his memoir that Trump had experienced a “very concerning” episode.

The 45th president has released limited medical information compared to recent predecessors. His last comprehensive health report came in 2020 from White House physician Dr. Sean Conley, who noted Trump had elevated cholesterol levels but declared him “healthy enough to carry out the duties of the presidency.” Trump takes rosuvastatin daily to manage cholesterol, according to that report.

What’s Next

Trump is scheduled to headline a fundraiser Tuesday evening at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club, followed by rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin this weekend. Campaign aides told TheNightly they have not adjusted his travel plans, though they acknowledged the former president appeared “tired” at recent events in Florida.

The incident raises questions about how aggressively Trump will campaign through summer’s heat. Temperatures at outdoor venues in Arizona and Nevada, where he’s booked events for late July, routinely exceed 100 degrees. “He hates being seen as fragile,” one longtime Trump aide said. “But if something’s really wrong, the schedule becomes impossible.”