President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus Thursday evening. The president tweeted to confirm the news shortly before 1am EST Friday, writing: ‘Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!’
It comes following news that the president’s top aide Hope Hicks contracted the virus after traveling with Trump on Air Force One multiple times over the last week.
Hicks is said to have first felt unwell returning from a rally in Minnesota on the president’s plane Wednesday evening. She was quarantined away from others on the plane and her diagnosis was confirmed Thursday, according to an administration official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Trump then continued with his schedule Thursday and traveled to and from his Bedminster, New Jersey golf resort to take part in two campaign events. He flew back to the White House this evening, when it was publicly confirmed Hicks had the virus.
His social media director Dan Scavino and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who were originally set to join him on the Thursday trip, were replaced at the last minute by other aides.
Trump is 74 years old, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from the virus. A statement from the White House doctor said both the president and first lady are ‘well at this time’ but did not say if either have symptoms.
The White House had earlier distributed a schedule for Friday that showed he planned to go forward with a fundraiser at his Washington, D.C., hotel and a political rally in Sanford, Florida. That has since been canceled.
Fears that the president may have contracted the virus were raised after it was revealed Hicks had traveled on both Marine One, the presidential helicopter, and on Air Force One in the past week.
Along with the trip to Wednesday night’s rally, Hicks had been aboard Air Force One to fly to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland.
She was spotted by DailyMail.com getting off Air Force One in the city without her mask.
Hicks also traveled with the president to a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday where she was seen maskless and clapping to the Village People’s YMCA.
Tuesday, September 29: Hicks was aboard Air Force One with the president to travel to night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland. She is seen leaving the jet without a mask
Wednesday, September 30: Hicks travels on Marine One and on Air Force One to a rally in Minnesota Wednesday.
She is understood to have felt poorly on the way back, quarantining on the presidential plane to get home.
Thursday, October 1: Hicks tests positive; Trump traveled to New Jersey for a fundraiser and says he is awaiting test results
Friday, October 2: It can take days for an infection to be detectable by a test, and it was unclear what Trump’s quarantine entailed. Minutes before his tweet, the White House distributed a schedule for Friday that showed he planned to go forward with a fundraiser at his Washington, D.C., hotel and a political rally in Sanford, Florida.
Following the news White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted: The strength of the entire country is with President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS. America stands united. Our country stands strong. Your President will continue to put the People first!’
Confirming the news of Hicks’ positive test earlier in the evening Trump had told Fox News: ‘Whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don’t know.
‘I just went for a test and we’ll see what happens.’
He later tweeted to confirm he and Melania were in quarantine, writing: ‘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!’
Speaking to Fox News the president described the 31-year-old Hicks as a ‘very warm person’ and suggested she got close to supporters and contracted the virus.
‘She’s fantastic and she’s done a great job,’ Trump said.
‘But it’s very, very hard when you are with people from the military and from law enforcement and they come over to you and they, they want to hug you and they want to kiss you, because we really have done a good job for them.’
‘And you get close and things happen,’ the president added.
Trump also said he was ‘surprised’ to hear that Hicks, who previously served as White House communications director and re-joined the administration this year ahead of the election, tested positive.
‘She wears a mask a lot, but she tested positive,’ the president said.
Typically, according to the CDC, a person develops symptoms five days after being infected, but symptoms can appear as early as two days after infection or as late as 14 days after infection, and the time range can vary.
Hicks becomes the latest in Trump’s circle to contract the virus after National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and White House coronavirus task force spokeswoman Katie Miller.
White House spokesman Judd Deere had earlier 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 guidance and best practices for limiting Covid-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible, both on complex and when the president is traveling.’
Deere did not mention Hicks by name.
Hicks was also seen Tuesday in a car without her mask with White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and campaign adviser Jason Miller. She is said to have worn a mask when on Marine One with Trump.
She joined 20 to 30 aides and family members, including the president’s son Don. Jr, on board Air Force One Tuesday.
Her positive test was first reported by Bloomberg News.