President of the United States Donald Trump has announced via Twitter that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
The late night tweet came after Trump had announced just hours earlier that he and Melania had entered quarantine because one of his closest White House aides, Hope Hicks had tested positive for the virus.
Hicks had travelled with Trump to the presidential debate on Tuesday, and to a rally the next day.
Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Trump’s physician has since confirmed the positive results.
Here’s official notification from Trump’s physician on the president’s positive covid test. pic.twitter.com/3sO4DOizLE
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) October 2, 2020
MSNBC is reporting that Hicks had also spent considerable time with several members of the Trump administration, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, Stephen Miller, Jason Miller and Kayleigh Mcenany. Trump had also been in close contact with Vice President Mike Pence.
MSNBC put together a list 👀 pic.twitter.com/oyYx14DQFe
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 2, 2020
Trump and Pence at the Rose Garden on Monday: pic.twitter.com/KiIweNvK5u
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) October 2, 2020
Trump’s positive COVID-19 result will dramatically upend the remaining weeks until the US election on November 3. The next presidential debate is scheduled for a fortnight, on October 15, and Trump also had campaign rallies scheduled. These all now appear unlikely to proceed.
The White House just released an updated press schedule for tomorrow. President Trump’s only scheduled event is “a phone call on COVID-19 support to vulnerable seniors.” pic.twitter.com/Nbm1PWB70I
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) October 2, 2020
I’m told a small group of officials were aware Thursday a.m. that Hope Hicks had tested positive. Despite that, President Trump traveled to New Jersey for a fundraiser and his press secretary held a briefing.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 2, 2020