President Trump and his wife, Melania, have contracted covid-19, which is causing them symptoms and forcing the president to suspend campaign events after months in which he has often played down the global coronavirus pandemic and defied public health safety precautions.
Trump, 74, was diagnosed hours after it became publicly known that Hope Hicks, a top Trump aide who traveled with him on Air Force One and Marine One this week, tested positive for the virus Thursday morning.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19,” the president tweeted just before 1 a.m. on Friday. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters Friday morning that the president was experiencing “mild symptoms,” but remained in “good spirits and very energetic.” Continue reading.