On Thursday night President Donald Trump confirmed that both he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 following the news that Hope Hicks, an advisor to President Trump, tested positive for the Chinese disease earlier in the day.
A statement from White House physician Dr. Sean Conley revealed that the doctor “received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” and “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,” wrote Dr. Conley, “Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future development.”
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 2, 2020
President Trump confirmed the news on his Twitter account, writing “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
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
Previously, President Trump acknowledged Hicks’ diagnosis and said the First Family would begin quarantining and had been retested.
“Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19,” wrote President Trump. “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. 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
It is unclear if the President and First Lady only received one positive test result, or if they have been tested multiple times. Recently, a Florida television station exposed a massive series of fraudulent or inaccurate tests in the state, with testing facilities claiming they had 100% positive test rates, or near-100% positive test rates. One lab claiming 98% a positive COVID-19 test rate actually had a 9.4% positive test rate after recalculating the data.
This is a developing news story and may be updated with additional information as it becomes available.
