Dick Cheney Cardiologist: Trump Walter Reed Trip ‘Worrisome’, ‘Unusual’

Monday, “CNN Newsroom” anchor Brooke Baldwin questioned Dr. Jonathan Reiner, the cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney while he was in the White House, about President Donald Trump’s unannounced trip to Walter Reed Medical Center over the weekend for what the White House later said was for an annual physical.

Reiner said he was told by his contacts at the White House that Trump and his people had been thinking about going to Walter Reed for some time and he went when he had some downtime, but he said the abrupt trip to the hospital was “unusual” and he was “skeptical” of the trip given how physicals tend to be scheduled in advance and performed at the White House.

Baldwin asked why the tests would not have just been performed at the White House.

Reiner replied, “[S]pontaneous medical exam is uncommon, raising the question whether there was something specifically at issue on Saturday.”

“The White House medical unit on the grounds of the White House compound located in the Eisenhower Executive Office building as well as the executive mansion has a very extensive capability,” he added. “So, a routine yearly annual physical exam can be handled there. You go to a hospital like Walter Reed for testing that is not available in the White House. That would include things like cat scans, a test like a stress test. Those things are detailed procedures that would need to be done in a place like Walter Reed. And a routine exam for us, just sort of check the president’s height and weight can be done on the ground floor of the White House.”

“Are you at all suspicious that perhaps there was something that led to this event other than normal procedure?” Baldwin asked.

“I’m skeptical. I think skeptical is the right word,” Reiner stated. “Think about it this way: The president of the United States has access to multiple physicians on-site, on Saturday afternoon goes unannounced to a medical center. It’s worrisome. It’s worrisome.”

He went on to say, “In some ways, the question is less what did they do on Saturday afternoon, what kind of testing did they do. The more important question, Brooke, is, why was it done? Why did the president and his staff feel at 2:30 on Saturday afternoon it was necessary to travel up to Walter Reed for an evaluation? It’s concerning to me. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to do that kind of testing at Walter Reed … really without provocation.”

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