Officials react to President Trump’s diagnosis of COVID-19
October 10, 2020
On Friday, Oct. 2, President Donald Trump revealed that he and the First Lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive for Covid-19. President Trump revealed his results via Twitter.
According to Fox News, Hope Hicks, a White House aide, also tested positive for the virus a day prior Thursday morning. Afterwards on Thursday evening the President said that he and the First Lady had both also been tested.
The White House Physician, Sean Conley, later made the following statement after the President’s positive results, “This evening, I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2virus” (Fox News).
On the morning of Monday, Oct. 5, The White House Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, revealed that she had also tested positive for the virus following the President’s positive results on Friday (Fox News).
The Press Secretary had this to say about her results: “After testing negative constinsenly, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms” (Fox News).
Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has questioned the President’s health after he and many of his staff have alleged that the President is feeling fine and is no longer immune. Following her questioning surrounding the President’s health she has floated invoking the 25th Amendment (NY Times).
Pelosi had this to say about the President’s health, “A president’s fitness for office must be determined by science and facts” (NY Times).
The 25th Amendment, in a short summary, states that if the president is ill, dies, or is debilitated and therefore prevented from executing the duties of his office the Vice President takes office. Pelosi says that the timing of her bringing up this bill has nothing to do with the election, but the people will have their own opinions on the matter (Fox News).
Pelosi also says that the people need to know the condition of the president’s health. Mitch McConell, senator of Kentucky, says Pelosi’s wild comments should be largely discounted (NY Times). After President Trump and FLOTUS left Walter Reed medical center other white house staff also tested positive for COVID-19 (USA Today).