White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows announced this morning that President Trump has mild symptoms of COVID-19. Trump tweeted on Thursday night that he and the first lady tested positive for the disease.
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
COVID-19 has so far killed more than 200,000 Americans. Trump has persistently downplayed the severity of COVID-19, and flouted its risks by not wearing a mask, holding big campaign rallies, and repeatedly undermining his own public health officials.
Trump is in the most at-risk categories for COVID-19 complications because he is 74 and overweight.
Because the virus’ symptoms are so varied and unpredictable, the full implications of his diagnosis are unclear. At minimum, it pulls the president off the campaign trail with a month left before Election Day. But the reverberations could be much bigger, affecting national security, government functions, and the economy.
Vice President Mike Pence, former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris have all tested negative.