President Trump said Thursday night that he and first lady Melania Trump will begin self-quarantining, after senior White House adviser Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19.
“Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible!” Mr. Trump tweeted. “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”
Mr. Trump confirmed to Fox News host Sean Hannity earlier in the evening that Ms. Hicks had tested positive, saying: “I just went for a test and we’ll see what happens.”
Ms. Hicks, 31, flew with the president twice on Air Force One and Marine One, the presidential helicopter, this week. She traveled with him to the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, and to campaign events in Minnesota on Wednesday.
The quarantining of the president and first lady also raised the likelihood that many of the president’s other senior advisers, who also were within close proximity to Ms. Hicks this week, also would need to quarantine. They included aides Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, and Stephen Miller.
The president had a busy weekend of campaigning planned, with events in Florida on Friday night and in Wisconsin on Saturday. Early next week, he was scheduled to campaign in Arizona.
SEE ALSO: Hope Hicks tests positive for coronavirus after flying with Trump on Air Force One: Report
The White House initially said there was no indication that the president has contracted the virus, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the story.
“The president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement that did not address Ms. Hicks.
He said, “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.”
Mr. Trump has been running something close to a conventional presidential campaign, flying across the country and speaking to rallies.
Meanwhile his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden has mostly done events and fund-raisers virtually, prompting regular ridicule from Mr. Trump and other Republicans and conservatives about Mr. Biden having holed himself up in a bunker.
Mr. Trump also is scheduled to debate Mr. Biden again in two weeks, on Oct. 15 in Miami.
• Victor Morton contributed to this report.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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