POTUS' Health Status a Top Secret
LEMON: So tonight, we don't know, and this is vitally important, the American public does not know if President Trump is now testing negative for COVID-19. He is claiming tonight in an interview that he has been retested, but says doesn't know the results, he doesn't know the results. And the White House hasn't released them. Yet tomorrow Trump will address 2,000 supporters who will gather on the South Lawn of the White House. He'll be up on a balcony. But let's remember that packed Rose Garden ceremony two weeks ago where there was no social distancing, very few masks worn. It's now called a super spreader event. Lots to discuss. CNN's White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins is here, and our medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner here as well. Good evening to both of you. Kaitlan, the president says that he has been retested in that interview. Wasn't this interview taped a few hours ago? If he was negative, wouldn't the White House have released the results by now? At least they should have by now, if he is.</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And they said if he tested negative, they were going to let us know, Don. If you're looking at all the context close here, you're going to have to assume the president did not test negative, because we were told -- this interview was taped around 4 o'clock this afternoon, so here it is now 10 o'clock at night and the White House has not released anything about the president taking a test today. We only found out that he did because of this interview. And Don, they also haven't released a letter from his doctor. This week every day we've gotten at least a statement from Dr. Conley, since he hasn't briefed reporters in person since Monday. But we didn't get that tonight. Yet it seems to be, despite that, that they are moving ahead with planning these events for tomorrow and for Monday where the president is going to hold a rally in Florida. So, it's just raising concerns about the decisions the White House is making to do that without having secured that negative test result yet. And the president in that interview said he'd been retested, so he said he was either negative or very low, at the bottom of the scale. But Don, of course, you're either positive or you're negative, and he did not say one way or the other. But it seemed to indicate he did not get a negative result today.</s>LEMON: All right. Dr. Reiner, I want to bring you in, I want you to listen to what the president said about testing his lungs at Walter Reed.</s>TRUMP: They tested the lungs, they checked for the lungs, they tested with different machinery. They have incredible stuff that I've never even seen before. And it tested -- it tested good. Initially I think they had some congestion in there. But it tested -- ultimately it tested good. And with each day it got better. And I think that's why they wanted me to stay, frankly. But the CAT Scans were amazing. The equipment was incredible. I've never seen equipment like this before.</s>LEMON: So congested? Would that be an indication of pneumonia? Because all his doctors said previously was, expected findings.</s>JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: This is all such nonsense, Don. You don't admit a patient with COVID-19 to the hospital unless they have pneumonia or some other catastrophic complication. So, you know, he had to have pneumonia. And I don't know why it's such a national secret and why they can't just simply say that.</s>LEMON: Dr. Reiner, can you say that again? You don't admit a patient to the hospital -- say that part again, please, for the viewers?</s>REINER: Yes. That's why you admit a patient to the hospital with a respiratory illness. You admit them to treat their pneumonia. So, the president had pneumonia. It's not that hard to say. And it's not that terrifying to say. And the White House simply should have said that day one. The president of the United States is admitted with COVID pneumonia he's doing fine, we expect him to get better. Gee. The world hasn't collapsed. That's what they should have said, and that's what happened. He was admitted with COVID pneumonia. Now we don't know how long into the illness he was when he was admitted, because we don't have a last negative test. So that's become a national secret, when he was last negative. But the White House is very eager to tell you when he tests negative, in the future, so they definitely want you to know when he's negative. And if he's negative tomorrow, they will -- they will find a way to tell you that. He won't be negative tomorrow, because people with COVID will shed remnants of viral RNA for a long time. So, if the testing came with PCR, he's going to be positive for a long time. That's why --</s>LEMON: Is he still contagious?</s>REINER: Yes.</s>LEMON: Is he still contagious? Is he still contagious when that happens, right?</s>REINER: Well, you know, we don't know. But the CDC recommends if you've had severe illness, you can shed live virus and be contagious up to 20 days. So again, what is it? Did the president have severe disease, which required medevac and triple emergency therapy? I think that's what the facts state. In which case, to be on the safe side, and to protect his staff, his Secret Service, and the supporters and the community at large, the president should remain isolated for 20 days. I don't understand why this is so hard. PCR isn't going to help us. And I -- and frankly, I'm at the point where I don't believe the data that the White House presents to the public.</s>LEMON: Doctor, Kaitlin, thank you both, I appreciate it. Hours of interviews with conservative radio and TV. Hours of rants and lies. What is going on with President Trump? Michael Cohen kept his secrets for years. He's going to fill us in, next.