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Trump Tests Positive for the Coronavirus - The New York Times

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  jbb  •  4 years ago  •  67 comments

By:   Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman

Trump Tests Positive for the Coronavirus - The New York Times
The president's result came after he spent months playing down the severity of the outbreak that has killed more than 207,000 in the United States and hours after insisting that "the end of the pandemic is in sight."

President Trump Has Tested Positive For Covid-19!


S E E D E D   C O N T E N T


The president's result came after he spent months playing down the severity of the outbreak that has killed more than 207,000 in the United States and hours after insisting that "the end of the pandemic is in sight."

merlin_177923958_308b9b8d-5f64-4d41-9419-79e8746d3b30-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale President Trump's positive test result posed immediate challenges for the future of his campaign with barely a month until Election Day.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York Timespeter-baker-thumbLarge-v2.png author-maggie-haberman-thumbLarge.png

By Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman

  • Oct. 2, 2020Updated 6:45 a.m. ET

Leer en espanol

[ Follow our live coverage after President Trump's announcement of a positive test for the coronavirus .]

WASHINGTON — President Trump revealed early Friday morning that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive for the coronavirus, throwing the nation's leadership into uncertainty and escalating the crisis posed by a pandemic that has already killed more than 207,000 Americans and devastated the economy.

Mr. Trump, who for months has played down the seriousness of the virus and hours earlier on Thursday night told an audience that "the end of the pandemic is in sight," will quarantine in the White House for an unspecified period of time, forcing him to withdraw at least temporarily from the campaign trail only 32 days before the election on Nov. 3.

The dramatic disclosure came in a Twitter message just before 1 a.m. after a suspenseful evening following reports that Mr. Trump's close adviser Hope Hicks had tested positive. In her own tweet about 30 minutes later, Mrs. Trump wrote that the first couple were "feeling good," but the White House did not say whether they were experiencing symptoms. The president's physician said he could carry out his duties "without disruption" from the Executive Mansion.

"Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19," Mr. Trump tweeted. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"

Mr. Trump's positive test result posed immediate challenges for the future of his campaign against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic nominee, with barely a month until Election Day. Even if Mr. Trump, 74, remains asymptomatic, he will lose much of his remaining time on the campaign trail. If he becomes sick, it could raise questions about whether he should remain on the ballot at all.

The White House did not say how long Mr. Trump would have to remain isolated, but it canceled his plans to fly to Florida for a campaign rally on Friday, stripping his public schedule for the day of everything except a midday telephone call "on Covid-19 support to vulnerable seniors." Appearances at rallies in Wisconsin on Saturday and in Arizona on Monday also appear sure to be scrapped, and the next debate, scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami, was left up in the air.

During late-night conversations, aides to Mr. Trump were discussing whether he should give an address to the nation on Friday from the White House or find some other way for him to reassure the public. But the aides were still in a state of shock as they absorbed the news, and there was no immediate word on how far the infection may have spread among senior White House officials, who generally do not wear masks in deference to the president's disdain for them.

"The president and first lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence," Dr. Sean P. Conley, the White House physician, said in a statement, adding: "Rest assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments."

Other aides to the president would not say whether he was experiencing symptoms, but people at the White House noticed that his voice sounded raspy on Thursday, although it was not clear that was abnormal for him, especially given the number of campaign rallies he has been holding lately.

Imagemerlin_177808863_e41056de-95f2-48a0-a13a-d7217ad3fe2e-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale Mr. Trump and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic nominee, on Tuesday in Cleveland at the first presidential debate.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

Even if Mr. Trump does not become seriously ill, the positive test could prove devastating to his political fortunes given his months of playing down the enormity of the pandemic even as the virus was still ravaging the country and killing about 1,000 Americans every day. He has repeatedly predicted the virus was "going to disappear," asserted that it was under control and insisted that the country was "rounding the corner" to the end of the crisis. He has scorned the advice of scientists, saying they were mistaken about the severity of the situation.

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For months, Mr. Trump has refused to wear a mask in public on all but a few occasions and has repeatedly questioned their effectiveness. And as recently as Tuesday, at their opening debate, he mocked Mr. Biden for wearing one. "I don't wear masks like him," the president said, his voice dripping with derision. "Every time you see him, he's got a mask."

It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Trump might have been infected by the virus at the time of the debate with Mr. Biden, 77, although the two stood far across stage and never got within six feet of each other.

Trailing in the polls, the president in recent weeks has increasingly held crowded campaign events in defiance of public health guidelines and sometimes state and local governments. When he accepted the nomination on the final day of the Republican National Convention, he invited more than 1,000 supporters to the South Lawn of the White House and has held a number of rallies around the country since, often with hundreds and even thousands of people jammed into tight spaces, many if not most without masks.

There is no one closer to Mr. Trump than Ms. Hicks, who returned to the White House this year after leaving her position as communications director in 2018, and on Wednesday traveled with the president on Air Force One to Minnesota. She began feeling sick around the time of the campaign rally he held there, according to one person familiar with the events, and was quarantined on the return flight to Washington, where she disembarked from the back entrance of the plane.

Her positive diagnosis came on Thursday, according to the person familiar with her case, but the White House made no announcement about the situation, and Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, who had also been on the plane and exposed to Ms. Hicks, then held a briefing with reporters without mentioning it or wearing a mask.

Only after Bloomberg News reported Ms. Hicks's condition did Mr. Trump confirm it during an appearance on Thursday night on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News, where he said he was waiting for his own test results.

The positive tests will undercut Mr. Trump's effort to change the subject of the campaign away from a pandemic that polls show most Americans believe he has mishandled and onto political terrain he considers more favorable. The president has sought to focus voter attention instead on violence in cities, his Supreme Court nomination, mail-in ballots and Mr. Biden's relationship with liberals.

Mr. Trump is the latest world leader to become infected. Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain was so sick that he had to be hospitalized before later recovering. Prince Charles likewise contracted the virus, as have the leaders of Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala and Bolivia.

But the symbolism of an infected American president could rattle allies, as well as governors and business owners trying to assess when and how to reopen or keep open shops, schools, parks, beaches, restaurants, factories and other workplaces. Eager to restore a semblance of normal life before the election, Mr. Trump has dismissed health concerns to demand that schools reopen, college football resume play and businesses return to full operation.

ImageMr. Trump on Wednesday night at a rally in Duluth, Minn.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

In his eighth decade of life, Mr. Trump belongs to the age category deemed most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Eight out of every 10 deaths attributed to it in the United States have been among those 65 and older. In private discussions, Mr. Trump has been fatalistic with associates when talking about whether he or others would get sick from the virus, describing it as essentially a roll of the dice.

He has been resistant to permitting details of his health to be made public, raising questions about his overall condition. In November, he made an unannounced trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that prompted speculation that he had an undisclosed medical ailment, but the White House insisted that he simply underwent routine tests, without revealing what they were or what they showed.

But while Mr. Trump has been reported to have high cholesterol and tips the scale at 243 pounds, which is considered obese for his height, Dr. Conley, his physician, pronounced Mr. Trump in "very good health" last year after his last full medical checkup. And, unlike many of those who have succumbed to the virus, he will have the best medical care available.

A variety of people around Mr. Trump were previously infected by the virus, including most recently Robert C. O'Brien, his national security adviser, who had a mild case before returning to work in August. Others infected include Kimberly Guilfoyle, his son's girlfriend; a White House valet; Katie Miller, Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary; as well as some Secret Service agents, campaign advance workers and a Marine in the president's helicopter unit.

Herman Cain, a former Republican presidential candidate and political ally of Mr. Trump's, died of the coronavirus in July after attending the president's campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., where Mr. Cain, like many in the arena, was seen not wearing a mask at least part of the time.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence in public about his own health, saying he was not concerned about being exposed despite his various close calls. "I'm on a stage that's very far away, and, so, I'm not at all concerned," he said last month, brushing off worries about crowded rallies.

Behind the scenes, though, the self-described germophobe was angry in the spring that his valet, who is among those who serve him food, had not been wearing a mask before testing positive, according to people in touch with him. Mr. Trump privately expressed irritation with people who got too close to him. According to the president, he began taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, proactively around this time and later said it caused no adverse effects.

ImageHope Hicks before boarding Marine One on Wednesday with, from right, Stephen Miller, Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nick Luna.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York Times

While the coronavirus is much deadlier than the flu, the vast majority of people infected by it recover, especially if there is no underlying condition, but the threat climbs with age. If Mr. Trump becomes symptomatic, it could take him weeks to recover.

Under the 25th Amendment, a medically incapacitated president has the option of temporarily transferring power to the vice president and can reclaim his authority whenever he deems himself fit for duty.

Since the amendment was ratified in 1967, presidents have done so only three times. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan underwent a colonoscopy and briefly turned over power to Vice President George Bush, although he did not explicitly cite the amendment in doing so. President George W. Bush did invoke the amendment twice in temporarily turning over power to Vice President Dick Cheney during colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007.

There is a long history of presidents falling seriously ill while in office, including some afflicted during epidemics. George Washington was feared close to death amid an influenza epidemic during his second year, while Woodrow Wilson became sick during Paris peace talks after World War I with what some specialists and historians believe was the influenza that ravaged the world from 1918 through 1920.

Four presidents have died in office of natural causes: William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt, while Wilson endured a debilitating stroke and Dwight D. Eisenhower had a heart attack in his first term and a stroke in his second. Four others were assassinated in office: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy.

But such health crises in the White House have been rarer in recent times. Since Reagan was shot in 1981, no president has been known to confront a life-threatening condition while in office.

Continue reading the main story


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JBB
Professor Principal
1  seeder  JBB    4 years ago

President Trump Has Tested Positive For Covid-19!

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
1.1  XXJefferson51  replied to  JBB @1    4 years ago

Explanation mark?  Really?  BTW, thus was seeded hours ago....

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
1.1.1  seeder  JBB  replied to  XXJefferson51 @1.1    4 years ago

What is wrong with the exclamation mark? 

 
 
 
Just Jim NC TttH
Professor Principal
1.1.2  Just Jim NC TttH  replied to  JBB @1.1.1    4 years ago
What is wrong with the exclamation mark?

It wasn't very successful at veiling your joy.

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
1.2  FLYNAVY1  replied to  JBB @1    4 years ago

I wish he and those that surround him a speedy and safe recovery.

With any luck this infection just might drive home the concept that this virus is not a hoax, and requires all of us to actively participate in it's mitigation. 

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
1.2.1  Snuffy  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2    4 years ago
With any luck this infection just might drive home the concept that this virus is not a hoax,

If I had one wish, it would be that all people would stop promoting false quotes and partisan talking points and be honest with each other.

At one point Trump said , “And this is their new hoax.” But he did so in the context of assailing Democrats for trying to politicize what the Democrats saw as his administration’s shortcomings in combating the crisis.

President Trump never called the virus a hoax. But it became a partisan talking point. I can only hope that someday people come to realize that neither political party cares about the people in this country outside of getting their votes because it all means power and money to the political parties. Both parties continue to push fear and hate to further their attempt to remain in power. This is what we have allowed our political process to come to because we continue to re-elect the same people that we would not willingly invite into our homes.

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
1.2.2  FLYNAVY1  replied to  Snuffy @1.2.1    4 years ago

Why would I expect you, one of the leading purveyors of Trump propaganda on NT to deal with reality......  I was at a dinner party just last weekend, and 2 of the 3 of the Trump supporters there were still stating the virus is a hoax.

If Trump was any kind of a leader in this matter, we would have at least 168,000 fewer deaths, and all that comes with a virus that is being controlled.    

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
1.2.3  Snuffy  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2.2    4 years ago

got it...   rather than respond to what I actually wrote you have to call me one of the leading purveyors of Trump propaganda on NT.  I feel kind of bad for you  in that you appear to be so locked into your partisanship that you can no longer see the trees. But I understand, you have become so conditioned that if a reply is not within your echo chamber, the author of said response must be accused of supporting the other side.

For the record,  I am an independent with some progressive leanings, some conservative leanings and some libertarian leanings. I'm not a fan of the two party system because it stopped being for the people of this country and became more about self-serving, power and buckets of  money for the parties a long time ago. People being people, money and power is a very strong motivator and there is just too much money and power in being tight with either party. With all the problems in this country I still believe it's the best country to live in due to our diversity, the willingness of people to stand up and help out in an emergency, the freedoms that we enjoy. Can we as a country do better?  Absolutely. But I believe it is incumbent on us to work together to better our world rather than blaming other people when they are not in lockstep with our beliefs.

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
1.2.4  FLYNAVY1  replied to  Snuffy @1.2.3    4 years ago

That dog don't hunt Snuffy..... You've been blowing Trump's horn for years now. Your 1.2.1 is a perfect example of it.  Because of Trump actions and statements, a big chunk of Trump's supporters think the virus is a hoax.  But you want to post technicalities for debate.  172,000 dead Americans from Covid have been caused by Trumps lack of leadership on the topic.  Put that in partisan pipe and smoke it!  

I'll wager his "Stand back and standby." statement doesn't qualify as a white supremacist dog whistle  to you either.

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
1.2.5  Snuffy  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2.4    4 years ago
I'll wager his "Stand back and standby." statement doesn't qualify as a white supremacist dog whistle  to you either.

You would lose that wager.

But you would only blame Trump for 172,000 dead Americans from Covid when we have almost 208,000 deaths?  Who's responsible for the remaining 36K?  But you are ignoring governors and mayors who also had a hand in determining actions,  as well as individual people for their own decisions. Could he have done more?  yes. I said before i wish there was more emphasis on mask wear coming out of the White House. But I also don't ignore the early statements from Fauci and other medical experts who downplayed the risk of the virus and said that masks were not needed. It's understood now they did that because of the shortage of PPE gear, but you cannot ignore that the experts said not to wear masks initially. Should Trump have mandated mask wear?  He cannot, and any attempt by the president to do so would be unconstitutional. Should he have locked down the country and closed all business?  Again,  not constitutional for the President to do so. Had he tried he would have been sued by several states for exceeding his authority and rightly so. And people who blindly believe the virus is a hoax because of Trumps actions are just as bad as people who believe Democratic talking points because Nancy Pelosi says it's true.

but hey, thanks for proving my point.

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
1.2.6  FLYNAVY1  replied to  Snuffy @1.2.5    4 years ago

Again..... Deflection to to governors, to Fauci..... it's everyone's fault but Trumps!

Here's the math that other Trump supporters want to ignore.

  • Germany population:  82,000,000.
  • Covid deaths in Germany: 9586 (they had 15 deaths yesterday BTW)
  • Germany's population is 25.6% that of the United states 320,000,000
  • Extrapolation:  9586 German Deaths x 3.9024 = 37,409 deaths when adjusted for population differential.
  • Deaths in the US this morning:  210,874
  • Difference due to Trump lack of leadership:  210,874 - 37,409 = 173,465 US deaths. 

Their medical system is just as capable as ours, and they have the same tools as we do..... The difference is Angela Merkel is a leader, where Trump isn't.

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
1.2.7  Tessylo  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2.6    4 years ago

Don't you know?  NOTHING is ever trumpturds' fault, NOTHING.  He claims COMPLETE AUTHORITY, yet accepts ZERO RESPONSIBILITY.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
1.2.8  Trout Giggles  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2.4    4 years ago
But I believe it is incumbent on us to work together to better our world rather than blaming other people when they are not in lockstep with our beliefs.

I think Snuffy is making a powerful point here.

Do I blame trmp for his response to this pandemic? You bet your ass I do. He disbanded the pandemic response team that probably would have gotten a handle on this thing from the get go. And then he mocked mask wearing and social distancing with his own behavior.

But a lot of responsible Americans said "fuck you, trmp!" and did the right thing by wearing masks and social distancing. A minority of Americans refused to take any kind of personal responsibility because they worship at the feet of their Fuhrer. THEY ARE THE ONES TO BLAME!!!!

Falling off my soap box now

 
 
 
bugsy
Professor Participates
1.2.10  bugsy  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2.4    4 years ago
I'll wager his "Stand back and standby." statement doesn't qualify as a white supremacist dog whistle  to you either.

Can you explain why if these "dog whistles" are heard by racists, why is it only liberals are the ones to hear them?

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
1.2.11  Snuffy  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2.6    4 years ago

Well that's a bunch of BS. I never deflected fault away from Trump but that's how you read it due to your partisan leanings. Could he have done a better job with messaging,  yes.  I said from the beginning of this virus that I would love better messaging out of the WH with more emphasis on mask wearing and social distancing and for people just being smarter than they appear. But he didn't and we do have a segment of population in this country that will argue any sensible measure just to argue.

Your comparison between Germany and the USA is missing a lot of other pieces because there is so much more than just the leaders of the respective countries.  But yes, Merkel has done a much better job leading Germany. The biggest reason IMO is her background in science rather than business and money. Trump should have done a better job in setting guidelines for the nation rather than leaving it up to the individual governors. But the governors were talking frequently with the WH task force on the virus and still some went out of their way to make bad decisions the greatly increased the death rate. Trumps biggest failure IMO is the downplaying of the potential and not pushing masks, social distancing and personal responsibility. But Trump had nothing to do with sending infected patients back to nursing homes, that was New York policy. Trump has been pushing to reopen the economy but he didn't force state governors to reopen business too fast.

So I blame Trump for what he did wrong, but I don't ignore what other people have done that added to the deaths. Maybe this is a bigger difference between you and me, I am a big believer in personal responsibility. I don't want a big government telling me how to live my life, I want government small enough to do their jobs but allow me the freedom to be responsible for my own mistakes and to make my choices on what impacts me. And before  you harp on me for being selfish, I believe in face masks and I wear one every time I go out in public. I believe that face masks help to reduce the potential for the wearer to spread germs if they are infected. 

With Trump now infected with this virus, I hope that when he recovers he changes his tune on how the general public should behave. I hope that mask wearing and social distancing become a more consistent message out of him and he stops downplaying the situation as much. Time will tell, but it won't fix the partisan divide in this country. 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
1.2.13  JohnRussell  replied to  Snuffy @1.2.5    4 years ago

When the virus began to hit the US, there should have been a WW2 mobilization type effort to confront it. Although I put most of the blame for the failure to do that on Trump, some of the blame must be put on Fauci and other national medical leaders who said that masks needed to be conserved for the doctors and nurses in hospitals where the covid patients were going to be treated.  What should have happened is an almost immediate conversion of the appropriate factories into making masks for the population 24/7. If this had been done immediately it would have got the population into the mindset that this was very serious. Instead we had a lurching approach of closures and complaints about closures and armed militias entering some state capitals to whine because they werent going to be allowed to go to Home Depot for a few weeks. The threat from the virus needed to be confronted on a national basis immediately, but it was not done. 

Trump only cares about getting re-elected and staying out of jail. He is being investigated for tax fraud in NY and it is highly likely the prosecutor there will find something illegal. 

Trump says he downplayed the virus because he didnt want to panic the nation.  He would set his hair on fire and scream "run for your lives" in the middle of 5th Avenue if he thought it would win the election for him. 

He wanted to suppress "panic" because he suspected panic would hurt his re-election. Thats all. 

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
1.2.14  Snuffy  replied to  JohnRussell @1.2.13    4 years ago

How early on should the Defense Production Act then been enacted?  Trump invoked the act on March 19th. TBH we do not know what sort of discussions were happening prior to that. We now know from the Woodward tapes that Trump did believe the severity of the virus and downplayed it, but we do not know the level of fighting and resistance he could have been facing at the time from the other side of the equation either.  We do know that both sides politicized this issue, even you cannot ignore that. We also cannot ignore that MSM has played a part in this problem by their constant push to show Trump in the worst possible light. I think they would have been better served if they had not pushed their narrative so hard and just let Trump shoot himself in the food (which he does so well), but they couldn't let go of that bone. So we also had MSM not reporting all the news (I believe) in order to further their aims of power and money.

It takes time and money to convert a supply chain to a new product. When this all started the supply chain was almost all offshore. The shortfall in equipment could have been made up by the Strategic National Stockpile but both sides had neglected to allocate sufficient funding to fully replenish the stockpile much less insure everything was in good working order (as was found out when ventilators were shipped to New York and were not in proper working order). I'm hoping that they learn a lesson from this and in the immediate period after this pandemic is over that they quickly move to restore / restock the national stockpile. But knowing Washington properties I don't expect it.

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
1.3  Tessylo  replied to  JBB @1    4 years ago

I don't care, do you?

 
 
 
Ozzwald
Professor Quiet
1.4  Ozzwald  replied to  JBB @1    4 years ago

President Trump Has Tested Positive For Covid-19!

With the number of lies coming out of the Whitehouse, how can we trust this claim?

Is he trying to gain votes out of sympathy?

Is he trying to show how tough he is be doing his job despite having COVID19?

Is he wanting to use this as an excuse to "call in sick" to the final 2 debates?

 
 
 
Just Jim NC TttH
Professor Principal
1.4.1  Just Jim NC TttH  replied to  Ozzwald @1.4    4 years ago

jrSmiley_103_smiley_image.jpg

 
 
 
Ozzwald
Professor Quiet
1.4.2  Ozzwald  replied to  Just Jim NC TttH @1.4.1    4 years ago

Hey, it's a simple question.  Did he truly catch COVID19, or is the claim another lie to try and gain him some advantage? 

Why should we believe the person that tells everyone that windmills cause cancer???

Why should we believe someone who makes other people lie about him being 6'3"???

9ad8914496861ae4c6f3ca9f2a781711.jpg WOLF!

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
1.4.3  Tessylo  replied to  Ozzwald @1.4.2    4 years ago

I'd say he is 6' 3" now with the lifts he wears in his shoes.  

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
2  XXJefferson51    4 years ago

President Trump, first lady test positive for coronavirus, set to quarantine at White House

The president announced the news himself in a Twitter message shortly before 1 a.m. ET Friday.

Brooke Singman6 hours ago

President Trump announced early Friday that both he and the First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine at the White House.

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19,” the president tweeted. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately.”

He added: “We will get through this TOGETHER!”

LIVE UPDATES: PRESIDENT TRUMP, FIRST LADY TEST POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

A White House source told Fox News shortly after the president’s tweet that he and the first lady are “fine” and are in the quarantine process at the White House.

Melania Trump also tweeted, "As too many Americans have done this year, @POTUS & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together."

Dr. Sean P. Conley, the president’s physician, also confirmed Trump and the first lady’s positive COVID-19 tests.

“This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-coV-2- virus,” Conley said. “The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”

PERSONAL PHYSICIAN TO TRUMP CONFIRMS POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS

“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,” he continued.

He added: “Rest assured I expected the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence early Friday tweeted, offering prayers for the president and first lady.

TRUMP RECEIVES WELL WISHES FROM TOP CRITICS AFTER CORONAVIRUS DIAGNOSIS

"Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrumpand @FLOTUS Melania Trump," Pence tweeted. "We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania."

It is unclear when the vice president and second lady were last tested for COVID-19.

A spokesperson for Pence did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

A White House official told Fox News on Friday that most West Wing officials and staff who are in close proximity to the president are tested for COVID-19 daily.

Another White House official told Fox News that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tested negative for COVID-19 in his most recent test. That test, according to the official, was conducted as part of normal protocol.

The president and first lady’s positive coronavirus tests came just hours after news surfaced that senior White House adviser Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a source familiar, Hicks -- who has been traveling with the president this week -- began showing symptoms of coronavirus Wednesday night, either during or after Trump's Duluth campaign event. She was quarantined aboard Air Force One on the way back and tested positive on Thursday morning, the source said.

TRUMP JOINS LIST OF WORLD LEADERS THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

"Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19," Trump tweeted late Thursday. "Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!"

In a statement, White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president “takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously.”

“White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidelines and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” Deere said.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted that "the strength of the entire country is with President @realDonaldTrumpand @FLOTUS."

TRUMP CRITICS SEIZE ON PRESIDENT'S POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TEST TO MOCK, LECTURE

"America stands united. Our country stands strong," McEnany tweeted. "Your President will continue to put the People first!"

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus would also wish Trump a "full and speedy recovery."

"My best wishes to President @realDonaldTrumpand @FLOTUS for a full and speedy recovery," he tweeted on Friday morning.

Chancellor Angela Merkel would also send her best wishes to Donald and Melania Trump, according to a tweet by Steffen Seibert, a government spokesman for Germany.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News' John Roberts, Peter Doocy and Pat Ward contributed to this report. 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/president-trump-confirms-he-first-lady-melania-trump-tested-positive-for-coronavirus

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
2.1  seeder  JBB  replied to  XXJefferson51 @2    4 years ago

I like Presidents who don't have risk factors!

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
2.1.1  charger 383  replied to  JBB @2.1    4 years ago

and when he recovers the risk factor is gone

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
2.1.2  seeder  JBB  replied to  charger 383 @2.1.1    4 years ago

People are dying from Covid complications months after infection. You need to read...

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
2.1.3  Tessylo  replied to  charger 383 @2.1.1    4 years ago
"and when he recovers the risk factor is gone"

Nope.  

I've heard that people can re-infected.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.1.4  Trout Giggles  replied to  charger 383 @2.1.1    4 years ago

how is the risk factor gone?

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
2.1.5  charger 383  replied to  Trout Giggles @2.1.4    4 years ago

he should develop the antibody for it.  

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.1.6  Trout Giggles  replied to  charger 383 @2.1.5    4 years ago

There's no confirmed scientific evidence that antibodies confer immunity.

Also consider his risk factors

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
2.1.7  Dulay  replied to  charger 383 @2.1.5    4 years ago

How does that negate his risk to OTHERS? 

There has been speculation that Barrett, who contracted Covid this summer, could still be sheading the virus. 

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  XXJefferson51 @2    4 years ago

Be sure to give them your tots and pears!

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
2.3  Dulay  replied to  XXJefferson51 @2    4 years ago

You heard what Trump told Hannity right? 

Trump Implied Hope Hicks Might Have Caught Covid-19 From Military, Police

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3  JohnRussell    4 years ago

AS SEEN ON TWITTER

I think that presidents that catch COVID are LOSERS. I like presidents that don’t catch COVID . #TrumpCovid

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
4  Bob Nelson    4 years ago

I wonder how a Trump could possibly become infected.... 

original

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
4.1  Tessylo  replied to  Bob Nelson @4    4 years ago

I bet Barron's been exposed too.  Has he been checked for Co-Vid?  All of the trumps and their wives and children.  

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
5  JohnRussell    4 years ago

Like it or not, expect to see this as an ad, if not from Biden himself than from one of the anti-Trump groups that have been producing ads

BuzzFeed News
@BuzzFeedNews
Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus after he spent months downplaying its severity, refused to regularly wear a mask, undercut top scientists, and so severely mismanaged the nation's response that more than 200,000 Americans are dead.
 
 
 
MonsterMash
Sophomore Quiet
5.1  MonsterMash  replied to  JohnRussell @5    4 years ago

[Deleted]

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  JohnRussell @5    4 years ago

That would be a good ad even if he is lying about having been infected

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
5.2.1  Tessylo  replied to  Trout Giggles @5.2    4 years ago

Hard to believe anything coming out of this administration.  Sounds like a ploy to me.  A distraction.  

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
5.2.2  Trout Giggles  replied to  Tessylo @5.2.1    4 years ago

Exactly! We're not talking about his taxes, his lies about his being a good business man, or his virtue signaling to the Proud Bois are we?

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
5.2.3  Tessylo  replied to  Trout Giggles @5.2.2    4 years ago
"Exactly! We're not talking about his taxes, his lies about his being a good business man, or his virtue signaling to the Proud Bois are we?"

My thoughts exactly

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
6  Buzz of the Orient    4 years ago

I guess we're going to start seeing some conspiracy theories about this.  For example, some may say that Hope Hicks is actually a closet Democrat and was sent while infected to be close to Trump and deliberately (a favourite China-bashers' word) infect him.  Others may just say it's a perfect example of Karma.  The official feeling in China is that it is necesary to separate the person from politics in a situation like this and to be supportve of the person, and that it is NOT a matter to be joyful about. 

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
6.1  Thrawn 31  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @6    4 years ago
For example, some may say that Hope Hicks is actually a closet Democrat and was sent while infected to be close to Trump and deliberately (a favourite China-bashers' word) infect him. 

Already working on it...

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
6.2  Dulay  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @6    4 years ago

Yet isn't it interesting that when Trump and Melania tested positive, it's suddenly not the 'China Virus' anymore...

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
6.2.1  Trout Giggles  replied to  Dulay @6.2    4 years ago

Give it time...

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
7  seeder  JBB    4 years ago

256

 
 
 
freepress
Freshman Silent
9  freepress    4 years ago

It's a hoax, a liberal hoax. That is why his entire family refused the Cleveland Clinic rules and the Doctor's public request to wear a mask during the debate. The family wore masks going in for the photo op and then took the masks off for the actual debate. They don't care if they pass on a deadly virus or if they get one, because all they do is spread misinformation about it. Afterward then flip flop and lie about their actions. They know full well the party sheep will believe every lie and flip flop.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
10  Bob Nelson    4 years ago

RNC: Chairwoman McDaniel tested positive for Covid on Wednesday
McDaniel "has been at her home in Michigan since last Saturday," Reed said.

512 Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has tested positive for Covid-19, an RNC spokesperson said Friday, just hours after President Donald Trump also announced he had contracted the coronavirus.

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel stands on stage in an empty Mellon Auditorium while addressing the Republican National Convention.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"After a member of her family tested positive for COVID-19, the Chairwoman was tested for the virus. On Wednesday afternoon, she got confirmation she was COVID-19 positive," said Mike Reed, the RNC's deputy chief of staff for communications, in a statement.

McDaniel "has been at her home in Michigan since last Saturday," Reed said.

The RNC chair first started experiencing symptoms earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the matter. She was last with Trump on Thursday and Friday of last week, testing negative before her contact with the president on both occasions, the source said.

It is unclear when McDaniel alerted the White House to her positive test.

The president and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19 after one the president's closest aides, Hope Hicks, came down with the disease, as well.

The news of McDaniel's diagnosis marks another major turn of events for Republicans one month away from Election Day, as both their top party official and presidential nominee will likely be forced to limit their activity in the campaign's final stretch.

Although the RNC provided no further details on the status of McDaniel's health, White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo that the president and the first lady were "both well," and that Trump would "continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering."

Vice President Mike Pence's office announced Friday that he and second lady Karen Pence tested negative for Covid-19.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
10.1  Bob Nelson  replied to  Bob Nelson @10    4 years ago

It is not karma!

It is a virus...

.... and maybe a little karma...

 
 
 
Trotsky's Spectre
Freshman Silent
12  Trotsky's Spectre    4 years ago

One can only wish him well. That said, this addresses none of the class issues associated with the pandemic. This is to say that it simply isn't news.

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
13  Thrawn 31    4 years ago

OMG If he dies that will honestly be the funniest, most ironic shit of all time. 

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
13.1  Thrawn 31  replied to  Thrawn 31 @13    4 years ago

Don't be bitches, you all read it and you all agree, stop being scared to give it the thumbs up. I said it mother fuckers. 

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
13.1.1  Tessylo  replied to  Thrawn 31 @13.1    4 years ago

The word retard was unnecessary and generally frowned upon.  

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
13.1.2  Thrawn 31  replied to  Tessylo @13.1.1    4 years ago

Oh well. You know me by this point.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
13.3  Trout Giggles  replied to  Thrawn 31 @13    4 years ago

Ironic? Yes. Funny? No. But I will give you a thumbs up for saying out loud what some people are afraid to even think about

 
 

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