Photo of Mark Meadows rubbing his head during update on Trump’s health goes viral

A photo of President Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, rubbing his head during Sunday’s update on the president’s health went viral. 

Reuters photographer Erin Scott captured Meadows with his forehead resting on his hands as Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley delivered the update to the media about Trump, who has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after testing positive for COVID-19. 

Corrine Perkins, the North America editor for Reuters Pictures, posted the photo on Twitter.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows rubs his head as U.S. Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, speaks to the media about President Donald Trump’s health. Photo by @erinscottphoto pic.twitter.com/zNfarjSLow

— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) October 4, 2020

The photo was also tweeted by other Reuters staff and ABC News. 

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows rubs his head as U.S. Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, speaks to the media about U.S. President Donald Trump’s health at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, October 4, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott pic.twitter.com/eHhgR7VmgP

— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) October 4, 2020

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is seen rubbing his head as Dr. Sean Conley, physician to the president, gives an update on the president’s condition as he is treated for COVID-19 at Walter Reed Medical Center.

LIVE UPDATES: https://t.co/8ErB6gupJ3 pic.twitter.com/UjTTSlhGUt

— ABC News (@ABC) October 4, 2020

Several others commented on the photo, including Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire, who said, “This photo tells at least 1,000 words about this weekend.”

This photo tells at least 1,000 words about this weekend https://t.co/pXYqMVonnJ

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) October 4, 2020

Greta Van Susteren, host of “Full Court Press,” noted in a tweet that the chief of staff “probably hasn’t slept since Thursday.” 

Mark Meadows probably hasn’t slept since Thursday https://t.co/WHUuUceSeh

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) October 4, 2020

Today, Mark Meadows perfected the Trump Chief of Staff look. pic.twitter.com/L270VLEB02

— YS (@NYinLA2121) October 4, 2020

Meadows was in hot water this weekend after he was identified to be the source who told reporters on Saturday that Trump’s “vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.”

Initially, Meadows’s comments were attributed to an official familiar with the president’s condition before an online video revealed that the chief of staff talked to pool reporters after Conley’s Saturday briefing. 

The New York Times and CNN reported that President Trump is furious with Meadows after he contradicted Conley’s message during Saturday’s press conference that the president was “doing well” and “in exceptionally good spirits.”

Meadows attempted to backtrack from his on-background comments later Saturday by telling Fox News that Trump had “unbelievable courage” and had experienced “unbelievable improvement” while acknowledging that his blood oxygen level had “dropped rapidly.”

During Sunday’s press briefing, Conley said Meadows’s comments were “misconstrued.”

“The chief and I work side by side, and I think his statement was misconstrued. What he meant was that 24 hours ago, when he and I were checking on the president, that there was that momentary episode of a high fever and that temporary drop in the saturation, which prompted us to act expediently to move him up here,” Conley said. 

Conley also said on Sunday that the president had received supplemental oxygen during his treatment. The doctor said he decided not to say the president was given oxygen on Saturday because he wanted to “reflect the upbeat attitude of the team.”

Trump and first lady Melania Trump announced early Friday that they tested positive for COVID-19. Early that evening, the president was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.