President Trump disclosed via Twitter on Friday morning that he and his wife, Melania, had tested positive for covid-19.
“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!,” Trump tweeted.
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 president and his wife will remain at home in the White House, the president’s physician, Sean Conley, said in a statement.
“The White House medical team and I will remain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,” Conley wrote.
Trump’s disclosure came hours after news broke that Hope Hicks, one of the president’s top aides, had tested positive for covid-19. Hicks was photographed alongside other White House staffers including Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, director of Oval Office Operations Nicholas Luna, and senior advisers Jared Kushner and Stephen Miller boarding Marine One for a trip with the president on Wednesday.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for wearing masks and social distancing on the campaign trail. “If I was a psychiatrist, I’d say this guy has some big issues,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Thursday.
“I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask,” Trump said during Tuesday night’s presidential debate. “He could be speaking 60.96 m away from them and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”