WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning development that came hours after he confirmed one of his longest-serving aides with whom he had recently traveled also received a positive test result.
The
revelation had implications for the president's health, the administration's
response to the pandemic and also the Nov. 3 election, during which Trump has
leaned on states to reopen and has claimed that the nation is "turning the
corner" on the virus.
"Tonight,
@FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19," Trump tweeted early Friday
morning. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately.
We will get through this TOGETHER!"
Former
White House doctor Ronny Jackson told Fox News early Friday morning that Trump
was asymptomatic and predicted the president would "weather this
storm."
"I
will bet you that he does not develop symptoms, that he moves on and this does
not become a big deal," Jackson said.
The
president has often claimed the U.S. has the pandemic "under
control," but his own positive test result – assuming it is accurate – is
certain to raise questions about the reopening of schools and businesses when
the virus could not be contained within the White House, arguably the most
secure facility in the world.
Trump has
dismissed concerns about those large campaign events, of which he hosted more
than a dozen in September. He has also downplayed the importance of a face
covering for himself, noting that he is regularly tested at the White House,
and mocked Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
"Well,
so far we have had no problem whatsoever," Trump said of the rallies
during his debate Tuesday with Democratic nominee Joe Biden. "It's outside
– that's a big difference according to the experts. And we do them outside, we
have tremendous crowds, as you see."
Trump, 74,
was the latest world leader to test positive for COVID-19. British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson became the first major leader in March. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fell ill
in July and had a series of positive tests. Both men recovered.
The
president's positive test is certain to become wrapped up in his own efforts to
downplay the seriousness of the disease for months while holding rallies,
fundraisers and other campaign events across the country, including in virus
hot spots.
Trump
recently appeared at a rally in Duluth, Minnesota, on Wednesday. Before that,
he traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday for the first presidential debate
with Biden. Trump took part in a fundraiser and a roundtable in Bedminster, New
Jersey, earlier in the day Thursday.
Vice
President Mike Pence said he and his wife "send our love and prayers to
our dear friends," the President and First Lady, and "We join
millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery."
Trump has
been found to generally be in good health in past annual physicals, though like
many Americans he takes a statin drug designed to lower his cholesterol.
The results of his latest physical, announced in June, showed that he weighed 244 pounds, up from 243 last year. But his total cholesterol dropped to 167 from 196 last year. Trump's blood pressure at the time was measured at 121 over 79.
White House
physician Sean Conley confirmed the positive test result in a memo released by
the White House shortly after the president's tweet. Conley said both were
"well at this time" and that they planned to "remain at home
within the White House during their convalescence."
Conley said
he and his team would "maintain a vigilant watch."
"Rest
assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without
disruption while recovering," Conley said.
The White
House released an updated public schedule for the president early Friday in
which his public events had been cancelled, including a planned rally in
Florida. Trump maintained an event on his schedule, a midday phone call focused
on COVID-19 with vulnerable seniors.
The Trump
administration defends proposed changes to student visas as a guarantee that
students friendly to the USA study here.
The
president repeatedly asserted the U.S. outperformed other nations in
confronting the disease, despite having the highest number of cases and deaths
in the world.
More than
200,000 Americans have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Hope Hicks,
one of the president's longest-serving aides, accompanied Trump to one of those
rallies this week, an event in Minnesota. She traveled with the president and
several of his senior aides within the small confines of Marine One on
Wednesday. A day later, Trump confirmed that Hicks had tested positive for the
virus.
It's not
clear whether Trump contracted the virus from Hicks, but Trump told Fox News
late Thursday that he and first lady Melania Trump were receiving a test and
said he would begin a period of quarantine. At that time, it was not clear how
or even whether Trump intended to curtail public events he had planned for the
rest of the week.
"Hope
Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just
tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible!" Trump tweeted Thursday. "The
First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will
begin our quarantine process!"
Several
White House aides have tested positive in the past, including a top spokeswoman
to Vice President Mike Pence, a Navy valet who was in the same room as the
president on the day the person began experiencing symptoms.
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