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President Trump Tests Positive for COVID-19
President Trump and First Lady Melania tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the early hours of Friday morning. Trump revealed his diagnosis in a 12:58 a.m. tweet: Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, White House Physician Sean Conley released a memo on the president’s condition. “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.” wrote Conley. “The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch,
The first lady sent also addressed the American people via an early morning tweet. “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.”
President Trump and the first lady will now isolate for several days while the virus runs its course. Mr. & Mrs. Trump will remain in quarantine until they test negative for the virus. However, the president will continue to conduct all of his regular governmental duties without interruption. However, the positive test forced Trump to cancel several upcoming in-person events and campaign rallies.
Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence also took COVID-19 tests on Friday, and both tests produced negative results. “As has been routine for months, Vice President Pence is tested for COVID-19 every day. This morning, Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for COVID-19,” Pence Press Secretary Devin O’Malley tweeted Friday morning. “Vice President Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery.”
The president’s positive result came less than a day after White House Aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19 early Thursday morning. The White House announced Hicks’ test results on Thursday evening, and President Trump called into Sean Hannity’s show at about 9 p.m. to comment on her diagnosis. Trump told Hannity that both he and the first lady had taken tests.
Several top-ranking Trump campaign officials were also tested Friday morning, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Both tests came back negative, and no other Trump campaign officials have tested positive at this time.
The president’s positive test comes just 32 days ahead of Election Day and less than two weeks before the next presidential debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The diagnosis will keep Trump off the campaign trail until he produces two negative test results, but Trump campaign spokespeople say he will continue campaigning via video calls and other forms of digital outreach.
Many of Trump’s most vocal critics took to Twitter to wish the president and first lady a speedy recovery. Even renowned Trump-hater MSNBC host Rachel Maddow wished him well. “God bless the president and the first lady,” Maddow tweeted. “If you pray, please pray for their speedy and complete recovery — and for everyone infected, everywhere.”
Unsurprisingly, there is a strong contingent of liberal social media trolls that are celebrating the president’s diagnosis. Former CNN host Piers Morgan, another prominent Trump critic, had a message for them, “Interesting to see those who’ve spent the last few years screaming that Trump’s an uncaring, heartless empathy-devoid b*stard now spewing their gleeful joy that he & his wife have a deadly virus,” Morgan tweeted. “They’re no better than the man they loathe.”
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