Donald Trump leaves Walter Reed after three nights of COVID treatment and is back at the White House

President Trump left Walter Reed Hospital Monday night and was helicoptered back to the White House despite his doctors saying he was "out of the woods" after receiving a cocktail of drugs to treat COVID-19.

He left the hospital at 6:40 p.m. and gave his thumbs to the camera.

When asked how many people in the White House are now sick and whether he is a super distributor himself, he simply replied, "Thank you very much."

74-year-old Trump was inducted into Walter Reed on Friday. He reportedly had difficulty breathing and had a fever.

He was cared for by the best doctors in the country and driven around in an SUV to wave to fans who lined up outside to greet him – a move that outraged critics who said he put the lives of intelligence agents at risk more politically Stunt.

"We'll be back on the campaign trail soon !!!" He tweeted on Monday night just before he left.

"The fake news only shows the fake polls."

Crowds of supporters held a vigil outside the hospital and were rewarded with driving by.

People carried 'Make America Great Again' paraphernalia, waved campaign signs, and raised American flags.

One woman waved a "We (heart) and Mr. Trump" sign, while another man waved a "We (heart) Trump" sign.

On Monday, just four days after testing positive with the deadly virus, he tweeted, “I'm leaving the large Walter Reed Medical Center at 6:30 pm today. I feel really good! Do not be afraid of Covid.

“Don't let it dominate your life. We have developed some really great drugs and knowledge under the Trump administration. I feel better than 20 years ago! & # 39;

Shortly after his message, doctors appeared outside the hospital to say that while Trump wasn't "out of the woods," they were pleased he was going home.

They refused to provide details about his health, such as the last time he tested negative or if he had to be quarantined when getting out of the car, and cited privacy laws as reasons not to share information like the results of a lung scan.

Doctors said Trump would get his fourth dose of remdesivir on Monday night before leaving the hospital and his fifth on Tuesday.

The president's kidney and liver function are both good, they said. His temperature on Monday was 98.1F.

Doctors defended their treatment of him and the decision to fire him, saying he had the best care in the world in the White House.

“Every day that a patient stays in hospital unnecessarily is a risk in itself. Nothing is done here that cannot be safely done at home, ”said Dr. Sean Conley, presidential doctor.

“That is why we are all cautiously optimistic and cautious.

"We are all cautiously optimistic and wary because we are in uncharted territory when it comes to a patient who received the therapies he received so early in the course."

He later added, "He's back!"

Dr. Conley cited patient confidentiality laws during the press conference when asked about Trump's lungs.

However, he said that his liver and kidney function were good and that Trump was not putting pressure on doctors to release him, despite previous reports that he was "finished" with the hospitalization and was "demanding" his discharge on Sunday.

"The President was a phenomenal patient while he was here," said Dr. Conley.

& # 39; He worked hand in hand. Today it's got to the point, he's holding court, going through all the details, the tests of what the future is.

“We went back and forth about what is safe or reasonable.

"He never pushed us to do anything that was not wise or reasonable."

The doctor said Trump was "a little dehydrated" on Friday, but he could recover.

& # 39; Everything looks fine. There is no evidence that live viruses could be passed on to others, ”he said.

“We check him out more routinely than waiting 10 days. We'll know as soon as possible – then we'll examine him clinically. How do you feel? How are you? & # 39;

Dr. Conley also wouldn't elaborate on whether Trump would need to be quarantined if he returned to the White House.

Fourteen people in Trump's inner circle have now tested positive for the deadly virus, which killed more than 210,000 Americans.

He has been desperate to return to the White House since Sunday and, according to aides, fears an extended hospital stay will make him look weak.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was the last person in the president's inner circle to test positive for COVID-19 three days after Trump confirmed he was infected.

McEnany, 32, continued to work at the White House Friday, Saturday and Sunday despite Trump testing positive late Thursday night and took off her mask on Sunday to let reporters know.

She defended her decision to keep coming to work, saying she was an "essential worker" expected there.

She had been in close contact with the President and others in the White House who tested positive but tested negative repeatedly until Monday.

Her assistant Chad Gilmartin has also tested positive.

"After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning with no symptoms," McEnany said in a statement posted on Twitter.

“As an essential worker, I have worked diligently to provide the American people with the information they need at this point in time.

"With my recent positive test, I will start the quarantine process and keep working on behalf of the American people," she said.

White House staff are tested with rapid test kits every day and have been relying on these results since Trump's diagnosis last week to let people back into the building, although it is common knowledge that it can take several days for someone to come back for it is exposed The viral load must be high enough to give a positive result.

Following McEnany's diagnosis on Monday, White House staff received an email reminding them to stay home if they experienced any symptoms.

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen tested again and negative on Monday, as did Joe Biden.

It comes under allegations that the president knew he tested positive for the virus Thursday night but kept it a secret during an interview about Fox.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows insisted Monday on Fox News that Trump was in good health and "making good progress".

He also defended Trump's Sunday outing, as did other allies, including former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Rudy Giuliani.

Meadows said, "He is ready to go back to a normal work schedule."

In a flood of tweets that began at 6:30 am on Monday, Trump bragged about the stock markets, promised further tax cuts, and listed "Pro Life", "Space Force", "Religious Freedom" and "Law and Order" on why he was back should win.

Over the weekend, Trump posted several video addresses promising to be in good health despite his diagnosis, and the White House shared photos of him working in the hospital.

He claims to have met some of the wounded veterans who are also being treated at the hospital.

On Sunday evening, he surprisingly appeared in front of the hospital to thank the fans who had stood out with signs, flags and banners and wished him a speedy recovery.

Trump said he was touched by the support and wanted to show his appreciation.

But doctors – including one of Walter Reed – say it is irresponsible of him to get into the president's SUV with Secret Service agents and take the risk of infecting them.

Dr. James Phillips, an attending physician to Walter Reed, condemned the president's Sunday afternoon drive, which violated the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.

Meadows dismissed the criticism Monday morning in an interview with Fox.

The President recognized some people outside of Walter Reed yesterday. That was also criticized.

“How do we think he got here? We got into Marine One. The agent who was with him … we took extra precautions with PSA.

"A number of people are just trying to make a big deal of it, even though I know I and some Secret Service details are right there to make sure he's protected every day and that he gets back to the White House as soon as possible possible. & # 39;

Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, also defended the outing.

He said today that the agents involved volunteered to drive him and were not under any duress.

The President wanted to thank all supporters. The detail manager and the driver volunteered for this job.

& # 39; You weren't obliged to do that.

& # 39; They volunteered. There was a piece of plexiglass between the two agents and the president.

“The President wanted to show his supporters how much he valued them and show that you can continue to work with COVID-19. He's a leader. He wants to lead. This was the president who thanked his supporters for their support. & # 39;

In an interview with Good morning America On Monday morning, Dr. Phillips made his claims that it was irresponsible.

“I don't know what the benefits of that political stunt were, but I know the risks.

“I worry that the intelligence agents may not know the full risk they are facing.

“As for the Johns Hopkins military and doctors who are caring for this patient, they are excellent.

“But they are under undue pressure and influence outside of this normal doctor-patient relationship.

“Influence weighs heavily, and when we are dealing with the most unusual environment we are in right now, the question – and I would like to hear the answer from some military doctors – is where that line lies between this doctor's patient relationship with the commanding officer come in contact and subordinate relationship? & # 39;

Phillips, chief medical officer in the Emergency Medicine Department at George Washington University, and a Covid-19 consultant who specializes in safe reopening, said the presidential vehicle's design, which was specifically modified to protect passengers from attack That made the ride even more dangerous.

"This President's SUV is not only bulletproof, but also hermetically sealed against chemical attack," he continued.

& # 39; The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is amazing. My mind is forced to gamble with the Secret Service.

"Every single person in the vehicle during this completely unnecessary" drive by "of the President must now be quarantined for 14 days," said Phillips.

& # 39; You could get sick. You can die. For political theater. Ordered by Trump to put her life in danger for the theater. This is madness. & # 39;

The CDC website specifically states that COVID patients should stay at home except for medical care.

In its section on advising healthcare workers, the CDC states: "In general, transportation and movement of a patient suspected or confirmed of SARS-CoV-2 infection outside their room should be restricted to medically essential purposes."

Doctors said the president's treatment with dexamethasone – a steroid used for patients who need supplemental oxygen – is the clearest sign that Trump may have a serious case of COVID-19.

Other doctors have also struggled with Trump's medical team's rosy picture of his health.

"People can be fine, but it can get rocky very quickly," said Amesh Adalja, a senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.

The experts told the Washington Post that Trump's medical team had withheld important information about his condition and that he was in a "kitchen sink" with monoclonal antibodies, the antiviral remdesivir and steroids.

"For someone sick enough to need remdesivir and dexamethasone, I can't imagine a situation where a patient would be okay on the third day, even with the medical capacity of the White House," said Robert Wachter, chairman of the University of California in the San Francisco Medical Department, the newspaper said.

A second doctor, Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, repeated the conviction of Dr. Phillips.

"By taking a pleasure trip outside Walter Reed, the president is putting his intelligence detail at serious risk," he said.

“If we come into close contact with a COVID patient in the hospital, we wear full PPE: dress, gloves, N95, eye protection, hat. That is the level of irresponsibility. & # 39;

And Dr. Craig Spencer, an Ebola survivor who is currently director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University, was shocked by the president's "jaunt".

"Moments after saying, 'I've learned a lot about COVID,' the president is taking a joyride in an enclosed space with people believed to be # COVID19 negative while taking experimental drugs," he said.

NBC News' Peter Alexander said Sunday night that he asked why Melania Trump wasn't visiting her husband and was told she didn't want anyone else to get infected.

"Reminder: A White House official told me Saturday that the first lady would not visit Trump at Walter Reed's because" she has COVID and that would expose the agents who would be driving her there, "he tweeted.

Trump's supporters gathered outside the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland – and many were not wearing face masks.