Holding the Line

A behind-the-scenes political memoir written by a prominent White House physician.

I would talk to the president before the chief of staff even saw the president in the morning. I walked into work, and I was already in the Oval Office talking to President Trump.

It was rarely medical, to be honest with you; it was whatever was going on in the news. Iâd be the first person heâd see in the morning. The president was completing tasks two to three hours before anybody else showed up in the West Wing to work. Heâd get up at five oâclock in the morning and would be watching TV, tweeting, making phone calls, and doing all types of other tasks.

President Trump would poke his head into my office or Iâd walk out, and we would say, âGood morning. Did you see this or that?â He was always asking me about things on TV and what was going on, from Iran to Stormy Daniels.

Heâd say, âWalk with me.â So Iâd walk him to the Oval Office, and weâd talk about everything. Iâd walk out through the outer Oval Office and the chief of staff, national security advisor, and even the CIA briefer would be standing there, waiting to get in and talk to him. Iâd walk out, theyâd walk in, and his day would start. I was the first person he saw every morning and the last person he saw every evening when he went to bed.