Here’s a long, explanatory thread to address unfounded rumors about @realDonaldTrump being taken yesterday to @WalterReedArmy.

I was one of the reporters in the protective pool embedded in Saturday’s @WhiteHouse - @TrumpGolfDC- @WhiteHouse motorcade.

At 09:20 EDT, @POTUS emerged from the West Wing to board his vehicle in the EEOB parking lot (where the poolers were waiting in three vans). Here’s a photo I took at that moment and tweeted.

I took that shot on my iPhone. The resolution is not good. Here’s a cropped close-up from a professional (Joshua Roberts of @reuterspictures).

The pool vans in the motorcade saw the vehicle carrying @POTUS enter @TrumpGolfDC in Virginia ~40 minutes later and we went to our hold location a mile away — Lucia’s restaurant in Potomac Falls (excellent ).

While @POTUS played 18 rounds we stayed there (wearing masks and socially distanced inside). But we know @realDonaldTrump was on the golf course based on video shot with very long lenses by @NBC and @CNN who were at a different location.

We rejoined the motorcade as it rolled from @TrumpGolfDC at 13:56 EDT for the drive back to the @WhiteHouse.

Did we know for certain @POTUS was in one of the vehicles at that moment? No.

That’s why the pool photographers always ensure they try to get a picture of @POTUS getting out of his vehicle on return to the @WhiteHouse.

On Saturday, the photographers did their job and here’s where it becomes a bit newsworthy. This picture was captured by Patrick Semansky of @AP) at ~14:40 EDT.

Note the apparent bruise on the back of the right hand of @realDonaldTrump.

No bruise was visible in the @Reuters photo from departure 5 hours, 20 minutes previously.

The @AP photo has led to social media and web posts claiming @POTUS was taken to @WalterReedArmy and had an IV line hooked up. Based on our firsthand observations, along with those of our colleagues, this could not have occurred as we have detailed above.

This illustrates why the usually routine, if not boring, duty for reporters, photographers and videographers in the protective @POTUS media pool, coordinated during every administration between @WhiteHouse staff and @whca (with excellent @SecretService support) is critical.

The @whca protective pool serves as the vigilant eyes and ears for all media and hence to objectively inform the public of the movements outside the @WhiteHouse by any @POTUS and accurately document events should anything unusual or unplanned occur.

The scrutiny by the @whca media pool makes surreptitious trips by any @POTUS difficult but not impossible. (It has occurred in previous administrations — someone with longer experience, such as @markknoller, can cite specific incidents).

I’ve queried the @WhiteHouse about the apparent bruise and if there’s any response I’ll add it to this thread.