President Trump, First Lady Test Positive For COVID-19

President Donald Trump said in a tweet early Friday he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19.

What Happened: "Tonight, [the first lady] and I tested positive for COVID-19," the president said. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"

Melania Trump too separately confirmed her testing positive for the virus. "We are feeling good [and] I have postponed all upcoming engagements," she said in a statement. "Please be sure you are staying safe [and] we will all get through this together."

Trump had notified late Thursday that the two were beginning a quarantine process for COVID-19 as they awaited test results after Hope Hicks, a high-ranking presidential aide, tested positive for the virus.

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, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the evening, traveled with the president on multiple occasions in the recent past including to the first presidential debate on Tuesday, CNN reported.

Why It Matters: Hicks has also been seen with the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and close aides Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna, CNN noted.

Trump reportedly theorized that Hicks may have contracted COVID-19 due to interaction with a supporter. 

Hicks was reportedly quarantined aboard Air Force One while returning home after feeling unwell at a Minnesota rally on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported.

There was no co-mingling between Trump and Joe Biden staff during the debate and separate entrances and rooms were used by the two groups at Tuesday’s debate, a person familiar with the debate commission testing protocols told Bloomberg.

Photo courtesy: Gage Skidmore via Flickr