Mike Pence was ‘on standby to take over’ as Trump made unexpected visit to Walter Reed hospital: report

New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt is releasing his new book Donald Trump v. the United States this week and already stories are breaking about the shocking revelations it contains.

Reported Sunday, Schmidt described a debate over Jared Kushner’s security clearance and President Donald Trump offering Gen. John Kelly the position as director of the FBI if he pledged his loyalty to Trump over the Constitution.

Excerpts released by the Times Monday revealed a shocking anecdote that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may be struggling to do his job. Another shocking point was that Vice President Mike Pence was put “on standby” as Trump made a trip to Walter Reed in Nov. 2019. There was another late-night emergency visit to Walter Reed Hospital for a “cerebral event” on August 1.

Reporter Don Winslow tweeted that there have been a “series of” these events, known as “mini-strokes” during his time in the White House. The Trump team has said nothing happened and there was no late-night visit, but the new revelations prove something different happened that would have taken Trump away from being able to serve his duties as president.

“Schmidt writes that Mitch McConnell fell asleep during a classified briefing on Russia, for example, and he details the F.B.I.’s shambolic reaction to evidence of the hacking in 2016, including an unresolved disagreement over how to handle the material,” said the Times. “Describing Trump’s unexpected November 2019 visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, he reports the White House wanted Mike Pence ‘on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized.’ (The vice president never had to take this step.)”

Read the full report.