[Follow our live coverage after President Trump’s announcement of a positive test for the coronavirus.]
WASHINGTON – President Trump announced early Friday morning that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, throwing the nation’s leadership into uncertainty and exacerbating the crisis caused by the epidemic, which has already killed more than 207,000 Americans and Wreaked havoc on the nation. Economy.
Mr. Trump, who has endured the severity of the virus for months and told an audience early Thursday night that “the epidemic is over,” will have to be kept in the White House indefinitely, just 32 days before the November 3 election, at least temporarily campaign trail. To pull.
The dramatic revelation came just before 1 a.m. in a Twitter message following reports that Hope Hicks, a close adviser to Mr. Trump, had tested positive. About 30 minutes later, in her tweet, Mrs. Trump wrote that the first couple were “Feeling good, feeling good,” But the White House did not say whether they were experiencing symptoms. The president’s physician said he could perform his duties “without interruption” from the executive mansion.
“Tonight, FLOTUS And I tested positive for COVID-19, ” Mr. Trump tweeted. “We will immediately begin our quarantine and recovery process. We’ll get this one together! ”
The result of Mr. Trump’s positive test, with barely a month to go until election day, is the Democratic candidate, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden poses immediate challenges to the future of his campaign against Jr. Even if Mr. Trump remains vague, he will lose the rest of the time behind the campaign. If he falls ill, he may question whether he should stay on the ballot.
The White House did not say how long Mr. Trump would have to stay apart, but he canceled his plans to travel to Florida for a campaign rally on Friday, breaking his public schedule of everything except the midday telephone call on Covid. -19 Support weaker seniors. “Appearances on Ralio in Wisconsin on Saturday and in Arizona on Monday are also guaranteed to be canceled, and the next discussion, scheduled for October 15 in Miami, was left in the air.
During a late-night conversation, Mr. Trump’s aides were discussing whether he should address the nation from the White House on Friday or find another way to reassure the public. But aides were still in shock as they embraced the news, and there was no immediate word on how far the infection could spread among senior White House officials, who usually do not wear masks in reference to the president’s disregard for them. .
White House physician Dr. Sean p. “The rest of the president and first lady are both well at the moment, and they plan to stay at home inside the White House during their health,” Conley added in a statement. I am sure that the President will continue to perform his duties without interruption while receiving the re-ing, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.
Other allies of the president did not say whether he was experiencing symptoms, but White House officials noted that his voice sounded raspy on Thursday, although it was not clear what was unusual for him, especially given the number of campaign rallies he is holding right now.
Even if Mr. Trump does not become seriously ill, a positive test could prove disastrous for his political fortunes, as he has lacked epidemics for months, as the virus still plagues the country and kills about 1 million Americans every day. Kills. He has repeatedly predicted that the virus will “disappear”, insisting it is under control and insisting the country is “rounding the corner” until the end of the crisis. He slammed the scientists’ advice, saying they were wrong about the seriousness of the situation.
For months, Mr. Trump has refused to wear masks in public on all but a few occasions and has repeatedly questioned their effectiveness. And as recently as Tuesday, in his opening discussion, he joked about wearing Mr. Biden. “I will not wear a mask like his,” the president said, his voice dripping with ridicule. “Every time you look at him, he’s got a mask.”
Immediately 77 It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Trump was infected with the virus during a discussion with Mr. Biden, although the two stood around the stage and never reached within each other’s six feet.
In the run-up to the vote, the president has held more and more crowded campaign programs in recent weeks in violation of public health guidelines and sometimes state and local governments. When he accepted the nomination on the final day of the Republican National Convention, he invited more than 1,000 supporters to the White House’s South Lane and has since held several rallies across the country, often jamming hundreds and thousands of people. In tight spaces, many get the most without the mask.
No one is closer to Ms. Trump than Mr. Hicks, who left his post as director of communications in 2018 after returning to the White House this year and traveled to Minnesota on Wednesday with the president on Air Force One. According to a person familiar with the incident, she began to feel sick around the time of the campaign rally, and was segregated on a return flight to Washington, DC, where she landed at the rear entrance of the plane.
According to a person familiar with her case, she had a positive diagnosis on Thursday, but the White House did not make any announcement about the situation, and White House Press Secretary Kaylage McCann, who was also on the plane, came in contact with Mrs. Hicks. , Then held a briefing with reporters without mentioning it or wearing a mask.
Mr. Trump confirmed Mr. Hips’ condition shortly after a Bloomberg News report during a show during Sean Hannity’s performance on Fox News on Thursday night, where he said he was awaiting his test results.
Positive tests will curb the epidemic in Mr. Trump’s campaign, which polls show that most Americans believe he has done the wrong thing and are more favorable in the political arena. The president has called for voters to focus on violence in cities, Supreme Court nominations, mail-in ballots and Mr Biden’s relationship with liberals.
Mr. Trump is an advanced world leader for getting infected. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson was so ill that he was later admitted to hospital. Prince Charles was infected with the virus in the same way as the leaders of Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala and Bolivia.
But the symbolism of the infected American president will take into account the issues of colleagues, as well as governors and business owners when and how they may try to open shops, schools, parks, beaches, restaurants, factories and other workplaces. Eager to restore the pre-election symbol of normal life, Mr. Trump dismissed health concerns, including demands that schools be reopened, college football resumed, and businesses return to full operation.
In his eighth decade of life, Mr. Trump is in the age group considered to be the most susceptible to coronavirus. Eight out of every 10 deaths in the United States are attributed to those aged 65 and over. In private discussions, Mr. Trump has been lethal with colleagues when talking about whether he or others will get sick with the virus, describing it as essentially an ace roll.
He is reluctant to let his health details be revealed, raising questions about his overall condition. In November, he made an unannounced visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, leading to speculation that he had an underlying medical illness, but the White House insisted he only had regular tests, what they were or what they did. Without making a clear representation.
But when Mr. Trump was reported to have high cholesterol and tips on a 243-pound basis, considered obese for his height, his physician, Dr. Con. Conley declared Mr. Trump “in very good health” last year. A thorough medical examination. And, unlike many people who have been infected with the virus, they will have the best medical care available.
Various people around Mr. Trump have previously been infected with the virus, including his most recent national security adviser, Robert C. O. Bryan, who made a humble case before returning to work in August. Others infected include Kimberly Gilfoil, his son’s girlfriend; A White House wallet; Katie Miller, Press Secretary to Vice President Mike Pence; As well as some Secret Service agents, campaign advance workers and Marines in the President’s helicopter unit.
Herman Cain, a former Republican presidential candidate and Mr. Trump’s political ally, died of a coronavirus in July after attending a presidential campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Mr. Cain, like many arenas, was not even dressed. Mask at least part of the time.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence in people about his own health, saying he is not worried about being exposed despite his various close calls. “I’m on a stage that’s very far away, and so, I have no worries,” he said last month, allaying concerns about crowded rallies.
Behind the scenes, however, the self-described germophob spring was angry at you that his wallet, which is one of those serving him food, did not wear a mask before the positive test, he was in contact with people. Mr. Trump privately expressed irritation with those close to him. According to the president, he started taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine actively around this time and later said it had no side effects.
While coronavirus is much more deadly than the flu, most people recover from it, especially if there is no underlying condition, but the threat worsens with age. If Mr. Trump becomes a therapist, it could take weeks for him to recover.
Under the 25th Amendment, a medically incapacitated president has the option of temporarily transferring power to the vice president and can reclaim his right whenever he deems himself fit for duty.
Since the amendment was ratified in 1967, presidents have done so only three times. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan underwent a colonoscopy and briefly handed over power to Vice President George W. Bush, although he did not explicitly cite the reform. President George W. During a colonoscopy in 2002 and 2007, Bush temporarily asked Vice President Dick Cheney to amend the coup twice.
Presidents have a long history of falling seriously ill while in office, including victims during some epidemics. George and Washington Washington were feared dead during the second year of influenza epidemics, while Woodrow Wilson fell ill during the Paris peace talks after World War I. Some experts and historians believe that influenza devastated the world between 1918 and 1920.
Four presidents have died in Fees due to natural causes: William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding and Franklin d. Roosevelt, while Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke, and Dwight D. Its second. Four others were killed in the office: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William Mann in Kinley and John F. Kennedy.
But such a health crisis in the White House has rarely been seen in recent times. Ever since Reagan was assassinated in 1981, no one has been known to face a fatal situation while in office.
