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 4, 2020, 2:56 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, 6:47 PM EDT

Biden reluctantly takes aim at Trump administration over PPE, stresses mask use

Former Vice President Joe Biden criticized the White House's COVID-19 response in not providing adequate personal protective equipment for essential workers on Saturday.

During a virtual town hall hosted by the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Democratic presidential candidate said he was in a "little bit of a spot" because he didn't want to attack President Trump while he was battling COVID-19. But when asked about the administration's policies toward transportation workers and a lack of PPE provided to the essential workers, Biden said it was "unconscionable" that "so many transit employees still aren't provided enough PPE to keep you safe on the job" and that "states, cities and transit agencies had to bid against one another."

"If that's not the president’s responsibility, what the hell -- what the heck is his responsibility?" he later said.

At another point, Biden said he told some governors not to endorse him because he worried they would “pay a penalty” in terms of getting what they need from the federal government to be able to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19.

"I probably shouldn't say this but you know me," Biden said to the moderator, adding that he wasn't joking.

During the town hall, Biden also emphasized the need to use masks while riding public transit, saying it was "appalling" that anyone would "reject the chance to do the easiest thing possible to save lives."

"You wear a mask to protect the person next to you. You wear a mask to protect the bus driver," he said.  

Biden joined the event from a studio his campaign constructed at the Queen Theater in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. The union was one of the first to endorse his presidential campaign.    

ABC News' John Verhovek and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

Oct 03, 2020, 6:13 PM EDT

Chris Christie checks into hospital following COVID-19 diagnosis

Hours after announcing he had tested positive for COVID-19, former New Jersey governor and ABC News contributor Chris Christie said he had checked himself into a hospital.

"While I am feeling good and only have mild symptoms, due to my history of asthma we decided this is an important precautionary measure," Christie tweeted.

Christie said he checked himself into Morristown Medical Center Saturday afternoon after consulting with his doctors.

"I am thankful for our hardworking medical professionals and look forward to coming home soon," he added.

Oct 03, 2020, 5:16 PM EDT

Trump campaign staff wore masks at event

In a notable shift, just hours after Trump campaign staffers and surrogates campaigned in Iowa on Saturday with no masks, indoors and with no social distancing, the team is now wearing masks at the second stop Saturday on the "Team Trump" bus tour through the state.

Trump campaign spokesperson Marc Lotter posted photos on Twitter of the second stop of the day on the bus tour, with staff outdoors and wearing masks, including Lotter, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Trump Victory senior adviser Eric Branstad. 

However, supporters in attendance at the event did not appear to be social distancing, were mostly not wearing masks and many appeared to be in the age range that would put them at a higher risk for coronavirus complications.

ABC News' Will Steakin contributed to this report.

Oct 03, 2020, 4:11 PM EDT

Pence and Harris will be 12-feet apart at debate, as Pence continues to campaign as usual

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., will be 12-feet apart on the debate stage in Salt Lake City Wednesday night, according to sources familiar with the negotiations, following a request from the Biden campaign to have more space between the candidates.

Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris are pictured in a composite image.
Getty Images

The Trump-Pence campaign had previously said it was open to putting more space between the vice presidential candidates for the seated debate, with Trump 2020 Communications Director Tim Murtaugh calling it "just a matter of moving farther apart at the table."

Following a negative COVID-19 test Saturday morning, the campaign announced Pence will return to the campaign trail the day after the debate in Salt Lake City, heading over to the battleground state of Arizona for a “Make America Great Again” event in Peoria.

Asked by ABC News Saturday if there would be any changes to health precautions at Pence’s future campaign events, the Trump campaign said it will go on as usual -- which means supporters will only be encouraged to follow health guidelines.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence arrive in the Rose Garden to speak on Covid-19 testing at the White House in Washington, D.C., Sept. 28, 2020.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

The campaign also continued its previously scheduled bus tour through Iowa Saturday, despite the president's hospitalization. According to a Republican source, there were no discussions on the ground about postponing the events.

Pence's physician in a memorandum Friday cleared him to “go about his normal activities,” citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that he was “not considered a close contact with any individuals who have tested positive for COVID, including President Donald J. Trump.”

However, Pence was among those in the Rose Garden for the Amy Coney Barrett announcement on Saturday (eight others who were there have tested positive for COVID-19) and he said he was with Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

ABC News' Molly Nagle, Avery Harper, Justin Gomez and Will Steakin contributed to this report.