Attorney General William Barr tested negative for the coronavirus after coming into contact with potential carriers during a congressional hearing.
The attorney general underwent a coronavirus test on Wednesday after Rep. Louie Gohmert, who was seen standing in close proximity to Barr on Capitol Hill during his Tuesday testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, tested positive for the virus.
Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told ABC News that Barr plans to self-monitor for the virus and will undergo testing regularly.
UPDATE: Barr, who was close at times to Gohmert during his Judiciary Committee testimony yesterday, has tested negative for the virus. –@NBCNews https://t.co/VZYWrbESZU
— Zach Haberman (@ZHaberman) July 29, 2020
Gohmert was set to travel to his home state of Texas with President Trump on Wednesday morning but tested positive for the coronavirus during a White House prescreening. Last month, the Republican lawmaker decried the use of medical masks, insisting that he remained healthy despite not using them.
“If I get it, you’ll never see me without a mask,” he said to CNN. “I keep being tested, and I don’t have it. So, I’m not afraid of you, but if I get it, I’ll wear a mask.”
Gohmert’s spokeswoman tweeted Wednesday that he “wore a mask at the hearing, unless he was speaking,” later suggesting he may have caught the virus by touching his mask.
