After testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday (October 2), President Trump was subsequently transferred to the Walter Reed Medical Center as a "precautionary measure".
And last night, the POTUS revealed that after "getting great reports from the doctors", he was going to surprise some of his supporters who had gathered outside the hospital.
Watch Trump's video message below:In the video, Trump said: "I also think we're gonna pay a little surprise to some of the great patriots that we have on the street. And they've been out there for a long time, and they've got Trump flags, and they love our country.
The 74-year-old added: "I'm about to make a little surprise visit."
And the President did just that; leaving the medical center in order to take a car journey with guards and wave at his supporters.
Wearing a facemask, the president got into an SUV to greet fans who had camped outside the hospital to wish him well.
However, in doing so, the President has now been slammed for exposing the members of the secret service who were in the vehicle with him to the highly contagious virus.
Chief of Disaster Medicine, Dr. James P. Phillips, MD, one of the hospital's top physicians, described the president's decision as "insanity".
The doctor tweeted:
"Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential 'drive-by' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity."
Dr. Phillips slammed the President for disregarding those employed to protect him and said that he put them at a risk that is "as high as it gets".
"That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play," the doctor wrote.
Other Twitter users have subsequently bashed Trump for other comments he made during the video message.
At one point, Trump mentioned that he has been able to "meet some of the soldiers and first responders" at the medical facility.
Trump also mentioned that he has "learned a lot about COVID" during his stay at Walter Reed by "really going to school".
These comments, in particular, led to some social media user criticizing Trump over his actions:
In a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, the president said that his own experience of the virus has taught him "a lot" and that he'd met first responders and soldiers while at the hospital.