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 04, 2020, 12:27 AM EDT

Bodyman for Trump tests positive

Nick Luna, the current director of Oval Office Operations and bodyman to President Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News tonight.  

Luna travels with the president pretty much wherever he goes and sources with direct knowledge tell ABC News that Luna was with Trump on most of his travels this week, including most recently a trip with the president and Hope Hicks, who later tested positive for COVID, on Wednesday. He did not travel to Trump's fundraiser in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday. 

Luna's positive test could have other implications: He is married to another White House aide who happens to be an assistant to Jared Kushner, the president's senior advisor and son-in-law.

PHOTO: Counselor to the President Hope Hicks, left, with White House special assistant to the president Nick Luna, White House adviser Jared Kushner, and social media director Dan Scavino on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
Counselor to the President Hope Hicks, left, with White House special assistant to the president Nick Luna, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, and White House social media director Dan Scavino on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
Alex Brandon/AP

ABC News' John Santucci contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: Luna did not travel to Trump National Golf Club on Thursday as previously stated. His last trip with the president was on Wednesday.

Oct 03, 2020, 11:39 PM EDT

Trump doing 'extremely well,' had been 'very concerned': Meadows

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump's son, Eric Trump, both spoke with Fox News host Jeanine Pirro on Saturday night, saying the president was improving after some early concern.

"He's doing extremely well. In fact, I'm very, very optimistic based on the current results and as the doctor said he's not out of the woods for the next 48 hours or so," Meadows told Pirro. "With the history of this virus, we know it can be tough, but he's made unbelievable improvements from yesterday morning when I know a number of us -- the doctor and I -- were very concerned."

Meadows said the president doesn't have a fever now and his oxygen levels are normal after they "dropped rapidly" on Friday morning.

PHOTO: White House chief of staff Mark Meadows pats U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, on the back following a media briefing about President Donald Trump's health in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 3, 2020.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows pats U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, on the back following a media briefing about President Donald Trump's health outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 3, 2020.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters

Eric Trump said he spent about "20 to 25 minutes" on the phone with his father on Saturday and said, "he sounded incredible, honestly." Trump's second-youngest son also said he was concerned watching his father take off for Walter Reed Medical Center, saying it was "probably a memory I won't forget."

Eric confirmed his father spoke to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about the COVID relief bill -- something the president also tweeted about Saturday -- and getting money for the struggling airline industry.

ABC News' Ben Siu contributed to this report.

Oct 03, 2020, 9:30 PM EDT

Trump 'bored' at Walter Reed, sources say

President Trump completed a second dose of remdesivir on Saturday and still did not require supplemental oxygen, according to a memorandum. The president spent the afternoon at Walter Reed Medical Center on the phone speaking to aides and getting some work done, sources told ABC News. 

"He spent most of the afternoon conducting business, and has been up and moving about the medical suite without difficulty," the memorandum from Dr. Sean Conley said. "While not yet out of the woods, the team remains cautiously optimistic."

One source who spent time with the president this afternoon said they are encouraging him to rest and added he continues to be monitored closely. Multiple sources told ABC News on Saturday night that Friday was "scary," and added they were concerned about Trump. Sources told ABC News earlier in the day that Trump was having trouble breathing and received supplemental oxygen on Friday at the White House after his oxygen levels dropped.

Trump himself, according to sources, wanted to bring in a camera to share how he was doing. The president filmed a four-minute video on Friday night and tweeted twice during the day -- once thanking his doctors and nurses and another referring to getting "stimulus" done, an apparent reference to disagreements between his administration and House Speak Nancy Pelosi over a funding bill.

Sources described Trump as "bored" and said he wanted to leave the hospital as soon as possible, but as previously reported is expected to remain at Walter Reed for a few days.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is once again expected to spend the night at Walter Reed.

ABC News' John Santucci contributed to this report.

Oct 03, 2020, 8:53 PM EDT

Biden campaign to release results of every COVID-19 test

The Biden campaign said Saturday it will release the results of every COVID-19 test the Democratic presidential candidate takes, including negative ones -- an increase in transparency over its previous testing guidance.

“Vice President Biden is being tested regularly, and we will be releasing the results of each test,” campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. 

Previously, the campaign had said it would release any positive tests. 

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden boards a plane as he departs on campaign travel to Michigan from New Castle Airport in New Castle, Del., Oct. 2, 2020.
Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

Biden took two COVID-19 tests on Friday morning after Trump revealed that he was positive for the virus. Both were negative. On Saturday, Biden told pool reporters he had not been tested that day, but would be tested Sunday morning. 

A source familiar with the campaign’s testing procedures told ABC News that the campaign has been ramping up testing as Biden's travel has increased. 

Amid concerns about Biden's possible exposure to COVID-19 at this week's debate, Bates said the candidate "was never in close contact with President Trump or members of his team or family during the debate."

"When he was not on the debate stage, he wore a mask," he added.

ABC News' Molly Nagle contributed to this report.