President Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus.
The president notified the public in an early Friday morning tweet, writing that the two will begin quarantining immediately.
“We will get through this TOGETHER!” Trump wrote.
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 Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for further comment and was directed to a memo written by White House physician Sean Conley.
With the permission of the first couple, Conley said the two are doing well and “remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”
“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. Rest assured I will expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments,” Conley continued.
Melania Trump said after the diagnosis that both she and the president were “feeling good” and noted that they have canceled all of their plans in order to quarantine.
“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,” the first lady said in a late-night 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.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Biden campaign for comment about the president’s diagnosis but did not immediately receive a response. It is unclear how Trump’s positive test result will affect the presidential debates. The next matchup between the two candidates is set for Oct. 15.
It was only hours earlier that Trump confirmed reports that his close aide Hope Hicks, who was formerly the White House communications director but returned in February as a presidential adviser, contracted the virus after traveling with the president to and from the presidential debate Tuesday and to a rally in Minnesota.
“The president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” said White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere in reaction to the news of Hicks’s diagnosis.
“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 guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible, both on complex and when the president is traveling,” the statement continued.
Trump is the highest-profile world leader to test positive for the coronavirus. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19 over the summer, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also infected with the contagion. Johnson spent time in the intensive care unit as he battled the virus and was released from the hospital on Easter Sunday.
There have been more than 7.27 million people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States, with over 207,000 deaths and 2.8 million recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
