President Trump's adviser Hope Hicks has tested positive for coronavirus, Bloomberg News first reported and Axios has confirmed.
Why it matters: Hicks is one of the president's closest aides and traveled with him earlier this week, including on Air Force One to and from Tuesday's presidential debate, as well as Trump's Minnesota rally Wednesday, Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs writes.
- This episode illustrates just how quickly the virus travels, and how close it can get to the president despite precautions that are place.
The big picture: Trump has been criticized for holding large, not-socially-distanced rallies through much of the pandemic, and refusing to wear a mask in many public appearances.
- Multiple people in the White House have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak began in the U.S., including national security adviser Robert O'Brien, Vice President Pence's press secretary Katie Miller, and one of President Trump's personal valets.
Worth noting: It is unclear whether Trump clears the threshold for "close contact" which requires quarantine, according to CDC guidelines.
What they're saying: “The president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” said White House spokesperson Judd Deere.
- “White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current C.D.C. guidance and best practices for limiting Covid-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the president is traveling.”