Reporter Questions The President On Whether He Should Travel To Virginia Due To His Age, Trump Reacts: “I Have Spirit For The Country”

A Navy hospital ship, USNS Comfort, will deploy to New York City this weekend to relieve hospitals that are filling up with coronavirus patients, President Trump told reporters Thursday during the Coronavirus Task Force White House briefing.

The Commander in Chief will travel to Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday to bid bon voyage to the Navy hospital ship. USNS Comfort is expected to dock in New York on Monday, ahead of schedule, after it had to undergo maintenance, as reported by The Freedom Times.

“I can now announce something that I think is incredible, what they’ve done in the Navy. Because the incredible Naval hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, which is incredible actually when you see it inside, will be underway to New York City on Saturday,” the President announced Thursday.

“So, it’s going to be leaving on Saturday, rather than three weeks from now. They did the maintenance quickly. It was going to be there for quite a while longer, another three or four weeks. It should be arriving, I told the governor 20 minutes ago, Governor Cuomo, that the ship will be arriving at New York harbor on Monday,” he said.

“I think I’m gonna go out and I’ll kiss it goodbye. I’ll go– it’s in Virginia, as you know. I’ll go and we’ll be waving together because I suspect the media will be following,” the president added. “There’s something very beautiful about it. It’s incredible.

During Friday’s Coronavirus Task Force White House briefing, a reporter asked the president if he should be going to Virginia to see the departure of the USNS Comfort tomorrow “given that older Americans are advised to stay home and avoid travel”. (Continued Below)

“Given that older Americas are advised to stay at home and avoid travel, is it absolutely necessary for you to go to Northfork, Virginia tomorrow to wave goodbye to the ship?” the reporter asked the president.

“No. No, but I have spirt for the country,” the Commander in Chief replied. “I mean we have sailors, we have doctors on that ship, we have everything. I mean, I’m not gonna be jumping around in a huddle. But, yeah, I think it’s a great sign– the President of the United States.”

“They got a ship out of maintenance, completed all the work, a fraction of the time– you know, supposed to be there for three and a half additional weeks. They got it done and it’s in great shape. They’re sending it up,” the president said. “It’s a good question. It’s a fair question.” (Video Below)

“I just feel that as the leader of our country, when they can do work like they’ve done, and they’ve been working all day, all night, medical supplies, everything, loading up that ship– I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world. It’s right down the road practically, right? Virginia,” President Trump explained.

“I think it’s great if I go to Virginia. I can take a helicopter or plane; it’s a tiny trip. And I think it’s a good thing when I go over there and I say thank you. It doesn’t mean I’m gonna be hugging people. And it doesn’t mean I’m going to be shaking people’s hands. But I think it sends a signal when the president is able to go there and say thank you. We’ll be careful,” he added.

President Trump’s official remarks:

President Trump was just asked if he should be going to Virginia to see the departure of the USNS Comfort tomorrow “given that older Americans are advised to stay home and avoid travel” pic.twitter.com/0CtCkCOwux

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 27, 2020