President Donald Trump announced he and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19 last night, Oct. 1.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately,” Trump tweeted after he returned home from a public fundraiser.
He did not disclose to the crowd that he and the first lady tested positive during the event.
According to Jill Coven and Zeke Miller in a report from AP News, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was aware that an aide of the White House, Hope Hicks, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and came into contact with Trump. Upon discovering Hick was infected that same day, Trump did not cancel any events and attended a fundraiser in New Jersey.
As many White House officials are undergoing tests, Trump and the First Lady plan to stay quarantined in the White House and were reported by those officials to have “mild symptoms.”
Trump and the First Lady are now two of the 7 million Americans to test positive for the virus.