Stephen Miller Becomes At Least 20th Person in Close Contact With Trump to Test Positive for COVID-19
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Stephen Miller, a senior Trump adviser, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday as the outbreak in the White House has continued to spread.
“Over the last 5 days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday. Today, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine,” Miller said in a statement.
As of Tuesday night, over 20 people who have been in close contact with President Trump — including Miller, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — have tested positive for COVID-19.
Here’s a running list of the political figures who have tested positive:
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced on Monday that she tested positive.
“After testing negatively consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” McEnany tweeted.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 5, 2020
(At least) Four White House assistant press secretaries
Assistant press secretaries Karoline Leavitt, Chad Gilmartin, Harrison Fields and Jalen Drummond tested positive in the past week, according to the New York Times.
“Both the lower and upper press areas in the West Wing are currently being staffed by a skeleton crew because of the recent outbreak,” CNN reported.
Pastor Greg Laurie
Greg Laurie, the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, confirmed on Oct. 5 that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Laurie was in attendance at the White House Rose Garden’s nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett on Sept. 26.
“It started with some fatigue I was feeling,” Laurie said on his Facebook page. “I’ve been doing OK actually. I’m basically in quarantine. … We cannot politicize something like this.”
U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Charles Ray
Charles Ray, who was present at a Sept. 27 event at the White House for the families of deceased troops, tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 5.
“In accordance with established Coast Guard COVID policies, he will be quarantining from home for the required 14-day timeframe, where he will continue to perform his duties as Vice Commandant,” Rear Adm. Jon Hickey, a Coast Guard spokesperson, said in a statement on Oct. 6.
At the event, which President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were also present for, multiple attendees were photographed without masks on and not practicing social distancing.
Assistant to the president Nicholas Luna
Nicholas Luna, an aide who works closely with Trump and travels with the president, tested positive for COVID-19 less than 24 hours after Trump was taken to Walter Reed Medical Center on Oct. 2, according to an Oct. 3 report from Bloomberg.
Luna also accompanied Trump to Cleveland for the presidential debate and was on Air Force One during a trip to Trump’s Minnesota rally.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
On Oct. 3, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
“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,” he tweeted.
Christie — as well as former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien and senior adviser Stephen Miller, among others — participated in debate prep sessions for last week’s presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden. Christie mentioned in a CNN interview Friday that no one wore masks during the numerous sessions.
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
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican, also announced on Oct. 3 that he had COVID-19.
“He returned to Washington on Sept. 29 and shortly after was exposed to an individual who has since tested positive,” his office said in a statement. “After learning of this exposure, the senator was tested yesterday afternoon. This test came back positive. Senator Johnson feels healthy and is not experiencing symptoms. He will remain isolated until given the all-clear by his doctor.”
Former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway
Former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway tweeted on Oct. 2 that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
In addition to being present for Trump’s debate prep sessions, Conway was also in attendance at a Sept. 26 event at the White House Rose Garden for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. Few people present at the event were seen wearing masks or social distancing, leading to speculation that the gathering could possibly have been a “superspreader” event for the outbreak inside the White House.
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
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien
Politico first reported on Oct. 2 that Bill Stepien, the Trump campaign manager, had tested positive that evening and was experiencing “mild flu-like symptoms,” according to a senior campaign official.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee
Utah Sen. Mike Lee tweeted on Oct. 2 that he tested positive after experiencing symptoms the previous day.
“Yesterday morning, I was experiencing symptoms consistent with longtime allergies. Out of an abundance of caution, I sought medical advice and was tested for Covid-19,” Lee wrote on Twitter. “Unlike the test I took just a few days ago while visiting the White House, yesterday’s test came back positive. On advice of the Senate attending physician, I will remain isolated for the next 10 days.”
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 2, 2020
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump
President Donald Trump announced in an early Friday morning tweet on Oct. 2 that he and first lady Melania Trump had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Later that day, Trump was flown to Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment and stayed at the hospital until the following Monday while the first lady remained at the White House.
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
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tested positive on Sept. 30, but her diagnosis was not revealed until Oct. 2.
“After a member of her family tested positive for COVID-19, the Chairwoman was tested for the virus. On Wednesday afternoon, she got confirmation she was COVID-19 positive,” Mike Reed, the RNC’s deputy chief of staff for communications, said in a statement.
It is not immediately clear when McDaniel notified the White House about her diagnosis.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis
Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who was present at the Rose Garden nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett, said on Oct. 2 that he had tested positive but had no symptoms.
“Thankfully, I have no symptoms and I feel well. As we all know, COVID-19 is a very contagious and deadly virus, especially because many carriers are asymptomatic,” Tillis said in a statement.
Notre Dame President John Jenkins
John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame University who was present at the Rose Garden nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett, said on Oct. 2 that he had tested positive.
“My symptoms are mild and I will continue work from home. The positive test is a good reminder for me and perhaps for all of how vigilant we need to be,” Jenkins said in a statement on Oct. 2.
Three White House journalists
Three White House journalists — later identified as New York Times correspondent Michael Shear, photojournalist Al Drago and a third unidentified reporter — tested positive, according to an Oct. 2 memo from the White House Correspondents’ Association.
“I am quarantining in my apartment in DC and am beginning to feel better, and of course staying positive!” Drago tweeted on Oct. 6. “I covered the Rose Garden ACB nomination ceremony on 9/26. Traveled w/ POTUS to golf and covered his evening briefing with Christie & Rudy on 9/27. Symptoms hit later that week; test taken Friday, 10/2 (ASAP after symptoms) and returned immediately positive.”
Clarification: I covered the Rose Garden ACB nomination ceremony on 9/26. Traveled w/ POTUS to golf and covered his evening briefing with Christie & Rudy on 9/27.
Symptoms hit later that week; test taken Friday, 10/2 (ASAP after symptoms) and returned immediately positive.
— Al Drago (@Al_Drago) October 6, 2020
Senior Trump counselor Hope Hicks
Hope Hicks, the senior counselor to President Trump, was revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 1, after she had already traveled on Air Force One to a Trump campaign rally in Minnesota and began experiencing symptoms.
Read original story Stephen Miller Becomes At Least 20th Person in Close Contact With Trump to Test Positive for COVID-19 At TheWrap
