Trump Insists He Is ‘Feeling Great’ as Most of Joint Chiefs Quarantine

WASHINGTON — President Trump continued to downplay the seriousness of his own coronavirus infection on Tuesday, seeking to project an image of vigor and normalcy even as the virus extended its rampage through official Washington, infecting another top White House aide, Stephen Miller, and reaching the highest levels of the Pentagon.

“FEELING GREAT,” Mr. Trump wrote in a morning Twitter post, before declaring that he was “looking forward” to his scheduled second debate on Oct. 15 with his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Mr. Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean P. Conley, also released a memo stating that the president “reports no symptoms” and “continues to do extremely well,” although Dr. Conley, whose credibility has come under scrutiny after he admitted to giving a rosy assessment of the president’s condition over the weekend, did not make himself available to answer reporters’ questions.

Health experts said the suggestion that Mr. Trump was making a swift and full recovery, amplified in conservative news media outlets, was highly premature given that Covid-19 can suddenly worsen even after a patient appears to improve several days after the onset of symptoms, which Mr. Trump began to display by Thursday. Whether Mr. Trump can attend a debate with Mr. Biden in just over a week will depend in part on whether he can avoid such a relapse. Mr. Biden said on Tuesday that the men “shouldn’t have a debate” if the president remains infected.