In light of the president's interactions with a broad cross-section of people and communities during this time, his positive test threatens to extend far beyond the West Wing.
, had a schedule packed with events and official government business in the week prior to his COVID-19 diagnosis, repeatedly putting himself in close proximity with throngs of supporters, agency heads and White House aides.
On Friday, before the president was taken to Walter Reed Medical Center, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Trump was already experiencing"mild symptoms," suggesting that the president may have been infected days earlier, Brownstein said -- and presenting the possibility that he may have transmitted the disease to others while asymptomatic. Transmission has been known to occur two to three days before patients show symptoms, if any.
A White House ceremony at which Judge Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court is quickly emerging as a possible super-spreader event, Brownstein said, with at least five attendees now having tested positive. In addition to the president and first lady Melania Trump, attendees who have since tested positive include Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah and president of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins. Former senior adviser to the president Kellyanne Conway tweeted late Friday that she tested positive. In a tweet Saturday morning, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated his tested positive.
Hours later, the president traveled to a campaign rally in Middletown, Pennsylvania, where several thousand supporters greeted Air Force One at an outdoor hangar. The president was joined on Air Force One by White House adviser Hope Hicks, who tested positive for the virus on Thursday.President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after speaking during a campaign rally at Harrisburg International Airport, Sept. 26, 2020, in Middletown, Pa.
"If you test positive, you can alert those you came in close contact with anonymously through the app," the department said.Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images On Friday, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley attended the event. On Monday and Wednesday, the spokesperson said, Esper tested negative for the virus, but he'd be tested again on Friday.President Donald Trump honors gold star families during a reception in the East Room of the White House, Sept. 27, 2020.
The president was joined by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and three Lordstown employees, including CEO Steve Burns – none of whom wore masks or observed social distancing.President Donald Trump chats with Steve Burns Lordstown Motors CEO about the new Endurance all-electric pickup truck on the south lawn of the White House on Sept. 28, 2020.
Azar tested negative for the virus on Friday. Giroir said he has tested negative twice since Wednesday.The day of the highly anticipated first presidential debate, Trump held no public events until departing the White House for the event venue in Cleveland. Once on stage, the president jousted with former vice president Joe Biden over his administration's response to the coronavirus and mocked Biden's use of a mask.
The president has repeatedly claimed that his outdoor rallies pose little threat to attendees. During Wednesday's debate, he said there have been"no negative effects" on public health traced back to his rallies. Cleveland Clinic, which hosted the first presidential debate on Tuesday with Case Western Reserve University, said in a statement Friday that they"believe there is a low risk of exposure to our guests," but is reaching out to address their concerns.
According to Cleveland Clinic, members of Trump and Biden's traveling parties were tested by their respective campaigns before arriving on campus, and received negative tests. All attendees, members of the press and others officials at the venue ahead of Tuesday night received negative PCR tests from the Clinic to gain entry to the hall, which had a maximum capacity of 300 people for the debate.
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Duluth International Airport in Duluth, Minn., on Sept. 30, 2020.President Donald Trump throws hats to supporters after speaking at a campaign rally at Duluth International Airport, Sept. 30, 2020, in Duluth, Minn. President Donald Trump, center, is seen seated inside Marine One helicopter, not wearing a face mask, as he and members of his staff, including White House director of social media Dan Scavino, left, arrive at the White House, Oct. 1, 2020.
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