White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has tested positive for the coronavirus following President Donald Trump's diagnosis.
Two of McEnany's deputies, Chad Gilmartin and Karoline Leavitt, also contracted the virus. The three of them are among the 18 people in the White House or near Trump’s reelection campaign who turned out to be Covid-19 positive since late last week.
“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” McEnany said on Twitter.
“No reporters, producers, or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit," she noted.
McEnany, who gave birth to a daughter last November, talked to reporters at the White House hours before Trump’s advisor Hope Hicks got his positive coronavirus test result.
Trump and his wife, Melania, tested positive for coronavirus. The president confirmed his Covid-19 test result in a Tweet: “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Hicks reportedly spends a lot of time with Trump. Hicks, the president, and his first lady went to Cleveland for the debate on Air Force One with a group that is composed of Trump’s relatives and advisors.
These were White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; national security advisor Robert O’Brien; the president’s lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany; the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom are senior White House advisors; the president’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric; Donald Jr’s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, who previously had Covid; Eric’s wife Lara Trump; the president’s daughter Tiffany; campaign manager Bill Stepien; top campaign official Jason Miller; White House social media director Dan Scavino; White House counselor Derek Lyons; political advisor Stephen Miller; and Rep Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Trump is set to participate in another presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Oct. 15, or 13 days after he announced his diagnosis. The Commission on Presidential Debates did not immediately give a comment on how the latest announcement will affect the upcoming debates. Trump and Biden are expected to meet on Oct. 22.
Back to the campaign
Trump has already left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and returned to the White House on Monday.
Trump also posted a video on Twitter. “One thing’s for certain: Don’t let it dominate you,” he said.
“We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicines, all developed recently,” said the president.
“I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger, but that’s OK,” he added. “And now I’m better, and maybe I’m immune, I don’t know.”
There will be a team of doctors who will continuously monitor Trump, who said he wanted to promptly resume his campaign.
“Will be back on the Campaign Trail soon!!! The Fake News only shows the Fake Polls,” he tweeted.
In a press briefing, Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, said that the president “may not entirely be out of the woods yet.”
Conley stressed that the medical team is “cautiously optimistic,” but “we’re in a bit of uncharted territory” in terms of Trump’s treatment.
