Aide Hope Hicks contracted virus and had accompanied president to debate on Tuesday and Minnesota rally on Wednesday
US president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump contracted coronavirus after aide Hope Hicks fell ill. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Donald Trump has announced that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, have tested positive for coronavirus, after one of his closest advisers contracted the virus, throwing the 2020 US election into chaos.
On Friday morning, the US president tweeted: “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19.” He wrote that they would begin quarantine immediately.
The announcement came after Hope Hicks, who serves as counsellor to the president and accompanied him to the presidential debate on Tuesday and to a Minnesota rally on Wednesday, tested positive on Thursday.
The president’s doctor, Navy Commander Dr Sean Conley, said in a statement early on Friday: “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.
“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,” Conley wrote. “Rest assured, I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering.”
He said he received confirmation of the positive tests on Thursday evening. With little over a month before the elections, this is the most serious threat to the life of an American president since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
Categories: America, Americas, United States, US Politics, US President, USA
The thought arises that Donald might just be seeking a reason to blame as he might not be re-elected. Ah well, “who once lies is not believed even when he tells the truth”. …