Dan Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent turned conservative commentator, said President Donald Trump called him right before he went into surgery to have a tumor removed from his neck.
The popular talk radio host revealed last month doctors found a “concerning” mass on the left side of his neck. Bongino said this week specialists believe he has lymphoma.
“The president called before I went into surgery,” he told his radio listeners. “I’m not kidding. That’s the kind of guy he is.”
Bongino went on to describe the president as “just a wonderful guy,” adding, “It’s a shame that gets lost in all the media hysteria about him.”
“He’s sick himself, or was, and he’s concerned about me,” he continued, referring to Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis. “He didn’t even rush me off the phone.”
When Bongino first opened up about his diagnosis, he was met with an immediate outpouring of support from fellow conservative commentators and leaders.
In his update this week, the frequent Fox News commentator said he is feeling good. Though he disclosed doctors believe he could have lymphoma, Bongino said he was reassured to know there “are treatment options” available.
“Either way, it’ll be okay,” he wrote. “Thank you all for your support.”
As for Trump, he also called now-Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany in 2018, after she underwent a preventative double mastectomy because she carries the BRCA 2 genetic mutation, putting her at a heightened risk of developing breast cancer and other serious illnesses.
McEnany talked about the president’s call during her speech at the Republican National Convention in August.
“I was blown away,” she said, recalling when Trump called her while she was recovering in the hospital after her surgery. “Here was the leader of the free world caring about me.”