unaided, moment, by himself, unaided, looking strong, looking healthy, frankly, because if we had seen the president being wheeled out in a wheelchair or carried out in a stretcher, it would have caused a huge amount of panic around the country. jon sopel and anthony zurcher mentioned the news broke after financial markets had shut. a lot of chaos in financial markets as well. and a lot of concern about the president's health, but i think 2—seam walking by himself, unaided, was very important for the president, for the white house, indeed for the country itself. anthony zurcher also watching this video with me. what did you make of him walking on to marine one and now landing at walter reed? i have seen the donald trump and other president walk onto donald trump is travel nonstop over the la st trump is travel nonstop over the last few weeks, boarding to fly to

andrews air force base and take the presidentialjet, two andrews air force base and take the presidential jet, two key andrews air force base and take the presidentialjet, two key swing states all of the country and back. to see it again with the eyes of the i'iews to see it again with the eyes of the news we have, the knowledge we have that the president currently is infected with coronavirus, obviously everyone , we are infected with coronavirus, obviously everyone, we are looking very closely for any signs of something different, something disconcerting. there were no signs other than he was wearing a mask, just a couple of days ago, he mocked joe biden for wearing the biggest mask you've seen during the debate, saying that he would wear a mask even when he was far away from other people. so here at this point now, donald trump is donning a mask where it is a medical necessity because he could... i'm going to positive there, because we just saw the president walk off marine one at walter reed hospital. he seems to be not income you can see the picture through the window, he is saluting the marines who accompanied him on marine one. he seems to be thinking the pilotsjust him on marine one. he seems to be thinking the pilots just before he

left the plane, and looking, i have to say, looking strong, fit, healthy, not bouncy, but absolutely walking by himself and looking as the white house has said, looking like some and who has mild symptoms, perhaps he's fatigued, but he does not look like some of the adult who is very sick. barbara, you are there, did you see him walking of marine one? i couldn't see him without leaving my position at the camera, buta without leaving my position at the camera, but a colleague of mine ran over to watch, and she hasjust texted me and said that he is walking out of the helicopter. like you said, he walked into its, and it's an important image for americans to see, and it's important for americans to see, and it's important foertrump as it americans to see, and it's important for mr trump as it would be for any president, frankly, to show that he is sort of able to do that, and although he has been infected, he is still very much in, and of himself. again, it goes along with the story

or the news that the white house has been giving us that they are doing this ina been giving us that they are doing this in a precautionary way because they want to make sure there won't be any unexpected surprises, there will be tests here and he will continue to keep working that is the image of a president who is still on the job. as i was saying earlier, he wants to make that impression very strongly. i heard he was saying it is important to send that image to americans and also to the world, and this is indeed true. again notjust for this is indeed true. again notjust foertrump, but forany this is indeed true. again notjust for mr trump, but for any president, if you come out in a wheelchair, you are going to move markets, you are going to raise concerns amongst allies, perhaps, and interest amongst adversaries, and i think the idea would be very strongly not to do that at this point. of course, especially in an election year, when mrtrump is going especially in an election year, when mr trump is going to have to or has put his campaign on hold and is now under quarantine put his campaign on hold and is now underquarantine ina put his campaign on hold and is now under quarantine in a hospital room rather than on the campaign trail.

so those were important moments, not onlyjust walk into the helicopter but but also getting out and walking into the hospital. i guess it does still begged the question, and it's a little bit of a mystery, isn't it? if he is as well as he seems, look, i don't see anything abnormal about the speed of his walk, his stature, anything. why move him to walter reed? if anything. why move him to walter reed ? if he anything. why move him to walter reed? if he is basically fine and the white house has a medical units, they can even perform surgery at the white house if they need to, why not just keep him at the white house? well, that is a question that we have been speculating about, but we really don't have the answer to its other than what the hot white house has told us. i could also say that covid—19 is a disease that's quite unpredictable, it manifests itself very differently in different people, so you could have no its symptoms at all as we all know, but then you could become very ill and

you might have symptoms that are mild to begin with, but they can ta ke mild to begin with, but they can take a turn for the worse as well. so it's possible, given that that's what they are dealing with, given that it's a potentially deadly disease that they wanted to be in a place where they could cope with whatever eventuality might arise. the white house did say they took this move on the advice of medical experts, so it's been a fast moving day, as i heard john say earlier, they certainly weren't expecting to be here when the day broke this morning especially with the message the white house had been giving that he did have mild symptoms and that he did have mild symptoms and that he was in good spirits and that he and milani up from his wife were going to sit this out together and even tweeted out that they would be a support to each other. so, yes, it's an unexpected turn which is why i think we are analysing and questioning it so much. but this is the explanation the white house has given. the image of him walking to

and from the helicopter has been in keeping with what they said his condition is. ok, barbara their outside walter reed, thank you for joining us with that, watching the helicopter away and at walter reed. the president as we have been saying looks fine, he looked strong, walking by himself, but still this question of why he has been moved at all given that this is not necessarily something that a president would want to have to be seen to have happen to him just a month before a very important presidential election because it puts the focus on the coronavirus, it puts the focus on his health, questions about his health, we understand from the white house, that he will be up at the walter reed for the next few days, that he can walk there, work there, he has an executive suite at walter reed hospital, and that he can get the job of the president done they are as he can in the white house.

it is still something of a mystery, isn't it? it still doesn't totally add up as a precautionary measure. i mean, you think about borisjohnson when we first heard that boris johnson was in hospital when he was diagnosed with coronavirus back in april, he was quite sick by the time we heard about him being in hospital and they took him to hospital because he needed oxygen. clearly, donald trump does not need oxygen. so that lend support of the theory that maybe this is a precautionary move, that of president trump is good enough to walk to the helicopter and off that this is something that his physicians recommend but not a crisis. in fact, just three minutes ago, donald jim faded out a video about how his twitter account had been silent since one o'clock this morning when he announced he had the virus, and he announced he had the virus, and he tweeted out a video saying he wanted to thank everyone for the tremendous support that he is going to walter reed, he says he thinks

he's doing well, but he is going to make sure that things work out and that the first lady is doing well as well. he thanked the public and that he would never forget it. so donald trump is standing in the white house wearing that same suit we saw as he walked to the helicopter looking to be in good health. ithink walked to the helicopter looking to be in good health. i think that is a very important step, because as you andl very important step, because as you and i were both discussing, the fact that his twitter account had gone silent, one of his favourite means of munication was very concerning for the past 17 hours. yes, and leaving the public in some kind of limbo, not necessarily knowing what the state of his health is. i think that might be one of the most important short walks at the president has ever taken from the white house to marine one just in terms of this election, reassuring the public in a reassuring his campaign and reassuring his supporters that he is still in control, still healthy, still up for this election, right? absolutely. it's notjust a matter of this election, right? absolutely. it's not just a matter of the

campaign. but position himself to not be damaged politically by not being able to carry out a robust campaign. the reality is that he's going to be off the campaign trail for at least a week perhaps more, as you mentioned before, there is an extreme importance as the leader of the united states is reassured the nation that he continues to be in full, and of his facilities, continues to be in reasonably good health, and then to reassure the world or to both allies and possible adversaries that there still is the proverbial firm hand on the tiller that the united states is still under his authority and that anyone considering taking a provocative action has to know that there is no crisis of leadership in this country at the moment. anthony, we heard joe biden, the former vice president dan democratic candidate sending his best wishes to donald trump at a small, not really a rally, kind of a

campaign event in grand rapids michigan earlier today. the biden campaign says it's taking down all its negative ads at the moment, it will only be running positive pro biden ads, not anti—trump adds, and barack and michelle obama have also sent their best wishes to the president, barack obama saying, "this is a very intense political time, but this is about the health of the president and the health of the country." of the president and the health of the country. " and of the president and the health of the country." and sending his best wishes. where does this leave the biden campaign? do they suspend campaigning while a president is sick in walter reed? or do they —— continue campaigning? welcome as you mentioned, joe biden hit the campaign trail today as scheduled, and there is no indication that there are going to be suspending the campaign while donald trump is in hospital. if you remember, joe biden essentially ran his campaign from his house in delaware for months before starting to re—emerge and hit the campaign trail. and while he was doing that,

he faced withering criticism from the president and other members of the president and other members of the republican party saying he was hiding in his basement and that he was afraid to face the american public because maybe he was diminished mentally or that he was afraid of going out because it wouldn't attract big crowds. i think given that context, the idea that the biden campaign, donald trump has had to suspend his campaign, i don't think they are going to be interested in giving the president the benefit of the doubt there. i think they're going to continue to press ahead even if, as you mention, they may not go as negative, they may take down their ads, they may not attack the president. joe biden when he signed off his speech today said god bless you and god protect the first family. i think he's trying to set the tone for the party to tell democrats not to engage in finger wagging or i told you sows because they want to take the high road here, they want to project an image of calm and concern and not have americans look at this and think that they may be trying to capitalise politically on this moment. 0k, of course, a key member

of the biden campaign is to look presidential and he tried to do that during a debate as well, so they are wishing him best wishes, and that reality —— rally, that little campaign event he was at grand rapids michigan did actually have a huge amounts of coverage here in the united states on television. it was carried live across all of the networks here, the cable television networks here, the cable television networks which is not something that joe biden usually gets, so there is the president in isolation now at walter reed hospital, joe biden now dawn the campaign trail getting a lot of attention and managing to carry on with the campaign. the president, by the way, has tweeted a video of himself, i think we have that now that we can show you just before he left the white house, he tweeted this all before he got out on marine one. we can see that tweet, i think we can bring it up. i want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. i'm going to walter reed hospital. i think i'm

doing very well, but we are going to make sure that things work out. the first lady is doing very well. so thank you very much for my appreciated, i will never forget it. thank you. that was just before the president got on marine one to go up to walter read hospital. so we are not going to have any kind of life press events, because he is now at walter reed hospital, out of an abundance of caution, for the next few days, he will carry on running the country, no transfer of power to the country, no transfer of power to the vice president. so, donald trump is still in charge but in hospital tonight, a day that has been incredibly tumultuous year in washington, moving very rapidly starting with the diagnosis and at the news that the president had tested positive for the coronavirus and and and with the president being moved out of the white house by helicopter up to a military hospital. for the moment, for me, that's it. samantha, pick it up in london, where i suspect this will carry on being news that now dominates not just carry on being news that now dominates notjust the headlines in

the united states, but of course around the world as well. absolutely, absolutely for now, thank you. with just a month ago before the president —— well, with a month to go before the presidential election, what impact could donald trump's illness have at the ballot box? our north america correspondent nick bryant reports from michigan. the lockdown is a scam. the covid press are a scam. the coronavirus has opened up yet another fault line in an already fractured country. these militiamen part of a protest of those who see the covid restrictions as a threat to american liberty. cheering. it was packed with supporters of donald trump, most of them still not wearing masks, and began with heads bowed in prayerfor the president. if we can take five seconds just to say a prayer for the guy, if that's ok? lord, we pray for president trump, his family, for a swift recovery. i understand he's got some mild symptoms, but i think he'll probably be over them soon and it'll be a victory for him. victory, in what way? victory in showing that there's a lot of overreaction to this covid stuff.

ijust hope he pulls through it. do you think he took enough precautions? do you think you should have worn a mask? no. i think everybody, this is a free country and everybody should not be dictated to, and everybody shouldn't have to wear a mask if they don't want to. this was another covid protest, of childcare workers bemoaning the lack of financial aid. and their responses to the overnight news spoke of how in american democracy right now, there's not even an agreed—upon set of facts. i don't believe it. why don't you believe it? i think it'sjust a ploy, because he did so bad debating. he did horrible in the debates. so i think it's a ploy to get out of debating again. and if he does have it, i don't believe it. i can't even say if he does have it. ijust don't believe it. michigan is a key battle ground state that donald trump won unexpectedly in 2016. but there aren't so many trump yard

signs as there were four years ago. we've fallen flat on our face. jack spielman is a lifelong republican who supported him back then, but he's already voted forjoe biden, partly because of the president's mishandling of covid. initially denied it, called it fake news, blamed it on the democrats, blamed it on the chinese. then he transitioned and said it's going to go away like magic. then it was going to go away when the heat comes. then we just had to deal with it, and then it was we were going to have a vaccine just before the election. we can't trust anything he says with it. in a bygone political age, the nation might have rallied behind a leader suffering from a virus that had killed so many of his compatriots. but this is such a deeply divided america, and this is such a deeply divisive american president. crowd: usa, usa! even this pandemic has become an accelera nt of political polarisation. nick bryant, bbc news, michigan.

earlier i spoke to arthur caplan, director of medical ethics at new york university, about what the president's transfer, and use of experimental treatments, suggests about his condition my guess is it's because his symptoms are worsening and he's in such a high—risk group, as you just reported, that they want to be safe. so even though there is a medical units at the house, it's not a hospital, and if he starting to show more lethargic, more fever, if they are also looking at it in a 74—year—old man, ithink are also looking at it in a 74—year—old man, i think that's probably why it's going on. they are concerned. her member come as you just said to me they are giving experimental antibodies which they also wouldn't do and thus they were pretty wary —— remember. also wouldn't do and thus they were pretty wary -- remember. tells more about these experiment or antibodies, single dose of regenerative that he has had. yes, so regenerative that he has had. yes, so this is a non—approved experimental medicine, if you will.

it tries to take immune building cells that you manufacture, this isn't the same as getting a transfusion of someone who's had the disease, it's artificially —— artificially manufacturing those same chemicals, hopefully you build up same chemicals, hopefully you build up the resistance in the person and they are better able to fight off they are better able to fight off the virus. but experimental, unproven, in clinical trials, the virus. but experimental, unproven, in clinicaltrials, looks promising, but not yet approved by oui’ promising, but not yet approved by our fda. so who would have taken the decision than to go ahead with an experimental non—approved drug on the president of the united states? his doctors. the doctors would have to make a request for what's called compassionate use to my company —— the company, they would have to consider it and then decide, yes, it isa consider it and then decide, yes, it is a situation where the president can't be put in a clinical trial of its, he has got the infection, he seems to be slipping, we better move quickly and we are going to allow

that to happen. so it's his doctors making the request. and what are they weighing up, the potential benefits of a drug which hasn't been approved with what's possible side effects ? approved with what's possible side effects? so there is some information on this intervention, these antibodies do seem intervention, these antibodies do seem to help if you use them early, so seem to help if you use them early, so they are thinking about that,, but there is also damage to the kidneys, you could have unknown consequences of an experimental medicine. i think what they are thinking is symptoms starting to show, probably worsening, high—risk person, age wise, size wise, less try the experimental medicine. that indicates real concern to me. we understand that the president had also been given a cocktail of other drugs including vitamin d, zinc, obviously vitamins, what do you understand but what else he has been receiving? don't know what else he's received. i think things like vitamins, i don't know, there's not

much evidence that that makes any difference to the course of covid and anybody. it can't hurt, they are known to be safe, but i don't think they are particularly helpful. there are steroid drugs that are shown to be helpful if your lungs begin to fail, and i'm sure those are lined up. the president of the united states is not you or me, they are going to be able to get any and every agent that they think might help and do so in ways that ordinary citizens might not be able to access. i'm joined now by katty kay in washington. thank you, samantha. our lines are getting crossed across the atlantic all stop you will bear with us, it isa all stop you will bear with us, it is a very busy newsday for all of us. is a very busy newsday for all of us. wejust is a very busy newsday for all of us. we just want to tell you that the president is now at walter reed, he recorded this short video and tweeted out, let's take a quick listen. i want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. i am going to walter reed hospital. i

think i'm doing very well. but we are going to make sure that things work out. the first lady is doing very well, so thank you very much, i appreciate it, i will never forget thank you. president from just before leaving the white house. antony, i'm watching that, he's wearing his suit, he looks well, perhaps a little pale but that's all i'm seeing. a little pale. perhaps he wasn't wearing the makeup that he sometimes does that gives him a little more colour. looking perhaps a little uneasy, but given the circumstances, i can certainly understand that. the "i think i'm doing well." a little doubt in the voice of the united states who normally talks in certainties and with emphasis, so i think this has been a humbling 2a hours for the president who has, as you remember, was just yesterday talking about how the coronavirus pandemic was getting close to the end. so this is definitely what we would assume to

bea definitely what we would assume to be a shocking development for the president himself. this is a virus that has humbled the whole world, not just the united that has humbled the whole world, notjust the united states, and certainly not just the notjust the united states, and certainly notjust the white house, and certainly not just certainly notjust the white house, and certainly notjust the president. we saw with borisjohnson that having the coronavirus changed his attitude to this illness. he had it very seriously. of course, he was in hospital, he was on oxygen. the president out there walking out to marine one at the white house looking fit and healthy. it doesn't looking fit and healthy. it doesn't look like what the white house is saying about this being an abundance of caution. because this is a president who can walk by himself. but i wonder whether we might see a similar change but i wonder whether we might see a similarchange in but i wonder whether we might see a similar change in tone, change in political message from this president when he recovers from this virus. i have been covering the trump campaign and the trump white house for long enough to be doubtful about changes in tone and changes in

attitude from this president that are permanent in nature. i remember donald trump giving a press conference earlier this year where he talked about a friend of his who had passed away from coronavirus in new york and there was discussion about how his attitude had changed, how now the virus was really hitting home for him, and it seemed like it did change the white house's emphasis, down from's personal attitude towards the virus, he started to wear masks slightly more often, he started to talk about it asa often, he started to talk about it as a more serious threat, but after time, he went back to focusing on the economy, went back to dismissing mask wearing, dismissing some of the people who are trying to local and state government levels trying to impose more strenuous restrictions on businesses and individuals, and here we find ourselves again looking atan here we find ourselves again looking at an uptick in virus counts in places like wisconsin and the midwest across the country. so, perhaps this will finally drive the point home to donald trump that this isa point home to donald trump that this is a very serious matter because

it's happening to him personally. but i will wait and we will withhold judgement until i actually see it on the long—term. judgement until i actually see it on the long-term. and we did see him wearing a mask there as he walked out to marine one, something that he doesn't do very often and which former white house officials have told me he really does not like to do and doesn't like to be seen to do. so already some change there. anthony, thank you very much. we have been told by the white house that that is what they call a lid for the night. there will be no further statements, no further breath to enact press briefings from the white house tonight, so we can't expect any more information for vets, i'm joined now by barbara plett usher. the president is in his executive suite up there at walter reed hospital as night falls on this friday evening here in washington, dc, barbara. yes, and he is very well—equipped there. that suite is known as an executive medical treatment centre and has a dedicated staff of doctors and nurses and technicians who are trained to

switch over to presidential care from their daily rounds if it should happen. so they were able to prepare for him very quickly. the place has a lot of office space, we understand. communications, eating facilities, places were family members, places for secret service to stand as well, and it's truly equipped for mr trump to continue to do hisjob from equipped for mr trump to continue to do his job from there as the white house has said he plans to do. and as he got off the helicopter here, he also walked off, he waved at people, there were supporters up against the gate. he waved at them and then got into a car and drove to the hospital. so all along, he has given this image of being in control of the situation as he was coming here. 0k, barbara at walter reed hospital where the president has now been admitted. he will be in this executive suite for the next few days. that's a lid from the white house. no more information out of the white house as far as we understand it tonight, at least not within a fit —— unofficial capacity.

of course, over the weekend, everybody will be monitoring his progress and we will hope that we hear more about it from the white house over the weekend. for me in washington, that's it. thank you so much for watching the special coverage. hello there. scotland, northern ireland didn't fare too badly on friday with some good spells of sunshine around, some pleasant sunset scenes as well. but for england and wales, it really was pretty atrocious. wet and windy, all courtesy of storm alex, and it looks like all areas willjoin in with the heavy rain this weekend — including scotland and northern ireland. could cause some transport disruption, some flooding in places, and the winds will be quite a feature too. so, for saturday, it looks thoroughly wet to start the day across much of england and wales, eastern scotland, that rain also drifting a little bit further westwards at times. but, meanwhile, it will be clearing a little bit from the southeast. so, here we could see some brightness into the afternoon, but it stays windy. south wales into southwest england, those temperatures pretty disappointing, the low teens for most of us, could see 16 in the southeast. but it's the rainfall amounts

we are most concerned about this weekend. saturday into sunday morning, amber warnings issued for parts of wales, the southwest of england, and also for the east and northeast of scotland. areas here, certainly over the high ground, could see an excess of two inches of rain. so flooding is likely to be an issue here. as we move through saturday night then, that rain really piles it's way westwards, affecting northern ireland as well. winds will be quite strong across the southwest, temperatures a little bit lower than what we had for the previous night, it will clear about 9—10 degrees. now, this new area of low pressure will be sitting right across the uk as we head on into part two of the weekend. it will be sending bands of cloud and rain around the country, mainly around its periphery where we will also see the strongest of the winds, gale force winds at times here. but in the centre of it, winds not quite as strong. we should see some sunshine, and that will set off a few have heavy, maybe thundery showers. those temperatures pretty disappointing in the low teens for most. as we move out of sunday into monday, our area of low

pressure begins to fill somewhat, begins to weaken a little bit. but it is still going to be enough to generate showers or longer spells of rain, certainly around the edges, fairly strong winds too. those winds will continue to ease down. central areas will see the lightest of winds with sunny spells there monday afternoon, but that could set off some heavy, maybe thundershowers again. temperatures again low teens for most, but we could make 15—16 in the southeast, given some sunshine and lights winds. but it remains unsettled as we have through the new week, certainly for england and wales, with a high chance of heavy showers and sunny spells.

this is bbc news. i'm samantha simmonds. the latest headlines: president donald trump has been taken to hospital for treatment after being diagnosed with coronavirus. he left the white house unaided, wearing a mask. on twitter, he said he was doing well. i'm going to walter reed hospital. i think i'm doing very well, but we're going to make sure that things work out. the first lady is doing very well, so thank you very much. i appreciate it. i will never forget it. thank you. he's already been treated with an antibody cocktail and vitamins. his doctors earlier said he was fatigued but in good spirits. we'll look at the possible risks the president is facing.