Sean Conley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Doctor Sean Conley addressing the press duringPresident Trump's COVID-19 hospitalization | |
| Physician to the President | |
| In office March 28, 2018 – January 25, 2021 Acting: March 28, 2018 – May 4, 2018 | |
| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Ronny Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Kevin O'Connor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sean Patrick Conley 1980 (age 44–45) Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Spouse | Kristin Conley |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BS) Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Rank | Commander |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Romanian Emblem of Honor |
Sean Patrick Conley (born 1980) is an American physician[1] andUnited States Navy officer who served as thephysician to the president from 2018 to 2021.[2] Conley served as physician to presidentDonald Trump during theCOVID-19 pandemic, often serving as the president's medical advisor, and treating the president when he tested positive for COVID-19.[3]
Conley, born in 1980 inDoylestown, Pennsylvania,[4] graduated fromCentral Bucks High School East in 1998[5][6] and received his bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Notre Dame in 2002.[7]
Conley received hisDoctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from thePhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2006.[8] He is a 2013 graduate of theEmergency Medicine Residency Program ofNaval Medical Center Portsmouth inPortsmouth, Virginia. He received the Honor Graduate Award, Nurses' Choice Award for Outstanding Senior Resident Award, and the Resident Research Award.[9]
In 2014, he served as an emergency physician with theInternational Security Assistance Force atKandahar International Airport outside the city ofKandahar,Afghanistan. He was assigned to NATO Role 3 MMU, and was appointed head of the trauma department. The unit received a commendation from theRomanian Land Forces for saving the life of a Romanian soldier injured by animprovised explosive device in 2014.[10] He served as the research director at Portsmouth Navy Department of Emergency Medicine prior to his assignment to theWhite House Medical Unit.[7]
Conley became the physician to the president upon the nomination of the previous physician,Ronny Jackson, forSecretary of Veterans Affairs.[11] He became the acting White House physician on March 28, 2018, and on May 4, 2018, became the physician to the president.[12]
On May 18, 2020, President Donald Trump surprised listeners when he revealed he was takinghydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure againstCOVID-19.[13] He confirmed that he was taking it under the guidance of Conley, who later issued a confirmation.[14] Several medical warnings[15][16] had been issued against the drug's use for treating COVID-19.
In the early morning of October 2, 2020, the White House announced that President Trump and First LadyMelania Trump hadtested positive for COVID-19 after they were tested as a precaution when Trump's top aide,Hope Hicks, tested positive. At first, Trump began self-isolating in the White House, but under the recommendation of Conley, he was transferred toWalter Reed National Military Medical Center. He drew scrutiny regarding his public assessments of Trump's health during the president's hospitalization.[17] In contradiction to Conley's previous statements surrounding hydroxychloroquine, he released a statement toWhite House press secretaryKayleigh McEnany that he had decided to place Trump under an antiviral therapy, specificallyremdesivir.[18] Conley described Trump's symptoms on the day of the announcement as "fatigued but in good spirits". Conley incorrectly identified a Regeneron product ofmonoclonal antibodies as apolyclonal antibody cocktail in a press release.[19] Later, he updated Trump's symptoms as "nasal congestion and a cough and fatigue."[20] With regard to the first lady, Conley described her as "well with only a mild cough and headache."[21]
On the morning of October 3, Conley gave a press briefing regarding Trump's health, stating that he and his team of physicians were "extremely happy" with the president's condition, and noting that most of the president's symptoms had subsided.[20] However, Conley stated that Trump was "72 hours into this diagnosis" which implied that Trump had attended a rally in Minnesota, knowing he was a potential COVID-19vector at the time.[22] The 72 hour remark was quickly corrected by a press release indicating that the president was diagnosed the evening of October 1.[23]
On the evening of October 3, Conley warned that Trump was "not yet out of the woods" with regard to his condition.[24]
In an October 4 press conference, Trump's medical team said that he was "doing really well" after his oxygen level dipped the day before and after he was given the steroiddexamethasone, which works by reducing inflammation in the lungs.[25] Asked if CT scans showed pneumonia or lung damage, Conley said, "There's some expected findings, but nothing of any major clinical concern." He declined to say what was found, citing HIPAA guidelines that ensure patient privacy.[26] When asked why he was reluctant to disclose that Trump had been given oxygen during the October 3 briefing, Conley stated that he did not want to "give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction" and "it came off that we're trying to hide something, which wasn't necessarily true."[27]White House director of strategic communicationsAlyssa Farah later stated that it was "a common medical practice that you want to convey confidence, and you want to raise the spirits of the person you're treating," while also asserting that Meadows' anonymous statement to reporters was intended to "give you guys more information just to try to be as transparent as we can".[28]
At 2:37 p.m. EDT on October 5, Trump tweeted that he would be discharged from the hospital at 6:30 p.m. that day.[29] However, doctors said in an afternoon news briefing that Trump continued to be treated with dexamethasone and remdesivir.[30] The prospect of Trump's early release astonished infectious-disease experts, who noted that Trump planned to be discharged in a period when COVID-19 patients are particularly vulnerable (7–10 days after symptoms first appear) to unpredictable and rapid declines in condition.[31] Outside physicians stated that the depiction of Trump's illness as relatively mild was inconsistent with the aggressive treatment he was receiving.[31] Trump's medical team made cryptic remarks about his status and declined to say whether Trump's CT scans contained indications of pneumonia or lung damage.[31]
In the White House, Trump continued to receivedexamethasone andremdesivir. He conducted business without wearing a mask.[32] Conley said in a memo that Trump has "no symptoms" and is doing "extremely well."[33] That optimistic message was later called into question. According to theAssociated Press, "then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said at the time that Trump's condition was worse than Conley had let on".[34]
Newly inaugurated presidentJoe Biden announced on January 25, 2021, that he would appointKevin O'Connor as the White House physician. According to a CNN report, "Conley was seen departing the White House alongside Trump" on January 20, 2021.[35] The AP reported that Conley would be taking on a "teaching role" at theUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.[36]
Conley generated controversy in the fall when he admitted to offering rosy descriptions of Trump's condition because the White House wanted to project optimism.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Physician to the President 2018–2021 | Succeeded by |
