As you may have heard by now, President Trump tested positive for coronavirus. This news, which broke late Thursday night, turned out to be kind of a big deal, and by that I mean I didn’t stop thinking about it for more than five minutes all weekend. In the ensuing days, we’ve gotten more and more spine-tingling breaking news notifications, as a number of prominent Republicans have received positive COVID diagnoses. The outbreak is suspected to originate with the White House’s event last Saturday to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, where attendees were reportedly tested and told masks were not required.
There’s been a lot of news to keep track of in the fallout of the GOP’s big Supreme Court super-spreader party, so let’s go down the list of who’s confirmed to be COVID-positive. These include people who worked in the White House or work elsewhere in government but may have been infected at the White House event.
Hope Hicks
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
We got the ball rolling on Thursday evening, when DJT announced via Twitter that senior White House counselor Hope Hicks had “just tested positive for Covid 19.” Trump felt the need to specify that Hope had been “working so hard without even taking a small break,” which seems like it’s beside the point, other than that it would suggest she came into contact with a lot of people in recent days. That included the President and First Lady, who were beginning their “quarantine process” while awaiting test results.
Donald Trump
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
It only took a few hours for the other shoe to drop, as President Trump announced his positive diagnosis on Twitter at 1am on Friday. Depending on your sleep schedule, you either fell asleep or woke up to this news. Trump noted that he was experiencing mild symptoms, but again said he would begin his “quarantine and recovery process immediately.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that Trump would be relocating to his suite at Walter Reed Medical Center “out of an abundance of caution,” where he was to spend the next few days working hard. Yeah, sure. Since then, Trump and his doctors and staff have painted a confusing picture of where his health is at, giving conflicting answers about his use of supplemental oxygen, the timeline of his diagnosis and symptoms, and the reasoning for administering multiple medications that are usually reserved for those with severe cases.
On Sunday, President Trump—who should absolutely still be isolating—left the hospital for a quick joyride through a crowd of supporters, with Secret Service agents forced to drive him in an airtight car with the windows up. After being uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter for much of the weekend, the President went on one of his standard tweet rampages on Monday morning, suggesting that his condition could be improving. You know it’s rough when deranged tweets about the Space Force are a sign that the President is acting normal again.
Melania Trump
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020
Melania Trump’s positive result was announced along with the President’s, deflecting attention from a just-leaked tape of her saying that she doesn’t give a f*ck about Christmas decorations or children in cages. There’s been a lot less discussion surrounding her symptoms than her husband’s. Initially, she said she was “feeling good,” and unlike her husband, she’s actually stayed put at the White House for the last 72 hours. Isolating—it’s not actually that hard! Lucky for her, she’s gotten to spend a few days away from Donald.
Senator Mike Lee
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 2, 2020
On Friday, Senator Mike Lee announced his diagnosis, saying that he tested positive on Thursday after a prior negative result when visiting the White House earlier in the week. As we should all know by now, it can take several days for the virus to fully develop, which can lead to false negative results in the initial period after contracting the virus.
With Lee’s announcement, the picture started coming into focus, with all roads leading back to the September 26th event at the White House Rose Garden, where Amy Coney Barrett was introduced as Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. Video from the event, at which attendees sat close together and mostly went mask-less, showed Senator Lee hugging numerous people. The guest list was a who’s who of GOP elite, and the resulting positive tests are an indication of how easily this virus is spread.
Senator Thom Tillis
Tonight my COVID-19 test came back positive. I’m following the recommendations of my doctor. Thankfully, I have no symptoms and feel well. COVID is a very contagious virus. If you were exposed or start to display symptoms, please call your doctor, self-isolate, and get tested. pic.twitter.com/fwc826dkvQ
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) October 3, 2020
Also on Friday, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis announced his own positive test result, and said he would isolate at home in North Carolina. Tillis was also present at the White House event the weekend prior. For what it’s worth, he’s also up for reelection and is in a tight race, so if you’re a North Carolina voter, you know what to do.
Kellyanne Conway
Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians.
As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic. ❤️
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 3, 2020
This whole situation is a mess, but there’s perhaps no messier piece than Kellyanne Conway’s COVID status being outed by her daughter on TikTok. Who knows if Kellyanne would have gone public without the pressure from Claudia, but her hand was forced. She shared her news in a tweet on Friday night, saying that “as always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.” As always? Really, Kellyanne? Tell that to all the people who have been out of work for the last seven months because Republicans wouldn’t enforce stay-at-home orders and mask mandates. Ugh.
Nicholas Luna
Trump’s personal assistant has also tested positive. That makes sense.
Chris Christie
I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two. I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 3, 2020
The test results kept rolling in over the weekend, and on Saturday, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie—who was also at the White House event—announced his own COVID-positive result. This seems like a big helping of karma, considering that earlier in the pandemic, Christie came under fire for hanging out at a beach that was closed to the public due to COVID restrictions. Like President Trump, Christie checked himself into a hospital asa “precautionary measure,” a luxury that most Americans could never afford. Medicare for all!
Senator Ron Johnson
Also on Saturday, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson announced he was COVID-positive. In September, he completed a 14-day quarantine after being exposed, but did not contract the virus. This time, however, he attended a fundraising event while awaiting his test result, which came back positive. Guys, it’s not that hard. If you’re pretty sure you’ve been exposed, STOP GOING TO EVENTS. Interestingly enough, Johnson was the first notable case from someone who was not present at the Supreme Court event, suggesting that the virus was spread further among GOP politicians last week. If that’s the case, there could be a lot more positive results on the way.
Kayleigh McEnany
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 5, 2020
After a comparatively quiet day on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced her positive test result on Monday morning, after addressing reporters without a mask on numerous times in the last week. She noted that she had previously tested negative every day since last Thursday, but again, we know it can take a while for the virus to register on tests. Two of her deputies have also tested positive.
Those are the biggest names, but they’re not the only ones who have been affected. Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien tested positive on Friday, as did at least three White House press room journalists. Since then, Trump’s personal attendant tested positive, followed by multiple staffers who work in White House press room. Kellyanne Conway’s daughter, Claudia, also tested positive.
the So here we are, less than 3o days before the election, and more than a dozen GOP leaders and White House staffers have been hit with a deadly virus that they’ve spent much of this year denying is a serious threat. It would almost be poetic, if it wasn’t so f*cking frustrating. The best case scenario is that this whole debacle will slow down the confirmation process for Amy Coney Barrett and swing the election in Democrats’ favor, but there’s no safe assumption at this point, and no one knows where this will end.
Stephen Miller
Tuesday’s headline news came when Stephen Miller, the President’s senior advisor, became the latest top White House official to test positive. Miller, who was a longtime colleague of Steve Bannon before working in the White House, has more recently become known as one of the chief architects of putting kids in cages at the border. Not a great guy. His diagnosis didn’t come as a huge surprise, considering that he was right there at the Rose Garden ceremony, schmoozing with all the other GOP brass.
Images: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com
