After saying he would self-quarantine upon learning that former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks had tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, Donald Trump confirmed earlier tonight that he and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, had both tested positive for COVID-19.
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
After Hicks, one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, began to feel symptoms during the plane ride home from a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday (September 30), she was isolated from other passengers and tested Thursday. Her positive status was confirmed, leading Trump to tweet: “Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for COVID-19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”
Just a few hours later, Trump confirmed the diagnosis for himself and Melania, writing, “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
The diagnosis arrives just days after an eventful first debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who criticized Trump’s mask policy and overall response to the pandemic crisis since early this year when Trump promised that the pandemic would pass by summer. In September, it was reported that Trump intentionally sought to downplay the seriousness of the virus despite admitting to knowing how deadly it could be.