President 'bored' at hospital, not 'out of the woods'

Chief of staff Mark Meadows says he was "very concerned" on Friday.

ByWilliam Mansell, Libby Cathey, and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: October 3, 2020, 4:58 PM EDT

The mystery surrounding the President Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis and condition deepened Saturday after several rounds of confusing and contradictory information from the White House and the president's medical staff.

Amid the swirl of developments, sources told ABC News that Trump, who remains hospitalized, had been given supplemental oxygen and experienced shortness of breath, a potentially worrisome picture that appeared to contradict both the rosier statements from Trump's doctor and assessments that he was doing well both on Twitter and elsewhere.

Speaking outside Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Saturday, Trump's physician would not offer a clear, declarative statement about whether the president had received oxygen treatment since testing positive.

The press pool was told soon after by a "source familiar with the president's health" that Trump's "vitals over last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care."

The lack of transparency and clarity from the White House contributed to a troubling pattern surrounding the events of the last week, including learning of Hope Hicks' diagnosis by a media leak, as the U.S. faces a potential crisis of governance just a month before the election.

Numerous questions remained including how many people at the highest levels of government had been exposed after a week of events involving the president where social distancing and mask-wearing were lax and the integrity of the testing efforts at the White House and elsewhere.

Since Trump announced he had coronavirus, Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Thom Tillis, Sen. Ron Johnson, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway have announced they tested positive for COVID-19.

Saturday's headlines:

Here is how the news is developed on Saturday. All times Eastern.
Oct 03, 2020, 11:50 AM EDT

Chris Christie tests positive

Former New Jersey governor and ABC News contributor Chris Christie, who helped Trump prep for Tuesday’s debate from the White House on Monday, tweeted Saturday morning, “I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19.”

“I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition,” he wrote.

Christie is one of eight people who have tested positive after attending last weekend's event in the White House Rose Garden where Trump officially nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Oct 03, 2020, 11:02 AM EDT

Trump rested through evening after experiencing shortness of breath

While the president had experienced a shortness of breath after testing positive for the virus, Saturday morning he is not having difficulty breathing, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

Trump went to Walter Reed Medical Center after experiencing a low-grade fever, chills, nasal congestion and cough. The president still has those symptoms on Saturday, multiple sources said. 

Trump rested well through the night as doctors continue to monitor and evaluate him through the weekend to determine when he can return to the White House, sources told ABC News. As of Saturday morning, the president was still feeling fatigued but was signing papers and working, the sources said. 

The president is still not considering any transition of power to Vice President Mike Pence. However, the president is worried, as coming down with the virus has spooked him and top aides, sources said.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who stayed at Walter Reed with the president overnight, tested negative for COVID-19 again Saturday morning.

ABC News' Katherine Faulders and John Santucci contributed to this report.

Oct 03, 2020, 10:45 AM EDT

Donald Trump Jr. tests negative

Donald Trump Jr., who attended Tuesday’s debate with the president, tweeted Saturday that he’s tested negative.

"I'll give it a few more days out of and [sic] abundance of caution and test again and if I’m clear I’ll be back to work asap," he tweeted.

"Thanks to all those who so lovingly have reached out … It truly means a lot to us,” he added.

Oct 03, 2020, 10:35 AM EDT

Trump campaign adviser says White House didn't call him for contact tracing following Hicks' positive test

Trump 2020 campaign senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, who attended Wednesday's rally in Minnesota with the president just hours before Hope Hicks tested positive, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Saturday morning that he was not contacted following Hicks' positive diagnosis despite being in close contact. 

"Prior to going into the event everybody had to produce a negative COVID test which they did," he said. "I did not hear from the White House after Hope Hicks tested positive on any type of contact tracing -- but I went and got a test yesterday and had the results come back negative."

Corey Lewandowski on "Good Morning America," Oct. 3, 2020.
ABC

Lewandowski also attended Saturday's Rose Garden event for Judge Amy Coney Barrett and made a point to say how some notable Republicans who have tested positive -- including Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien -- have contracted the virus and were not present then.

"Look, I don't think it's as simple as one event," he said.

Asked if he thinks Trump's tone about masks and White House protocols will change now with the positive diagnosis, Lewandowski defended the White House protocols but said the question is, "What more can we do?"

"I do know that the protocols when you go to the White House require everybody to be tested, whether you're going to see the president or you're going into the West Wing or not. Every person who goes onto that complex is tested when they come onto that complex, and I think that's a smart decision, but we have to ask ourselves, 'What more can we do?'" Lewandowski said.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, also an ABC News Contributor, who helped prepare the president for Tuesday's debate, said he was also not contacted about Hicks positive test but found out through news reports.