President Donald Trump says he and First Lady Melania Trump are in quarantine after aide Hope Hicks (pictured) tested positive for COVID-19.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Donald and Melania Trump have entered quarantine after learning that top White House aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for COVID-19, the president said late Thursday.
“The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results,” Trump tweeted. “In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Hicks has accompanied Trump on several campaign trips in recent days, including to the presidential debate with former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday evening and a campaign rally in Minnesota on Wednesday.
While the candidates tackled topics including race relations, climate change and the Supreme Court during Tuesday’s face-off, the coronavirus dominated much of the debate. Trump defended his decision to often appear in public without a facial covering, explaining that he wears a mask “when needed.”
“I think masks are OK,” Trump said, when asked by moderator Chris Wallace why he typically appears in public without wearing a mask. He pulled out a mask from his suit jacket to show that he carried it with him.
“I put a mask on, you know, when I think I need it. Tonight is an example, everybody has had a test,” Mr. Trump said. “I wear a mask when needed. When needed, I wear masks.”
Earlier this week, the world passed a grim milestone when Johns Hopkins University reported that more than 1 million people has died as a result of the novel coronavirus. That revelation came less than a week after the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 in the US surpassed 200,000.
The White House didn’t immediately respond for comment on whether Hicks’ positive test will affect his personal policy on wearing masks in public.
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