An outbreak of COVID-19 has struck the White House — including the president himself — just weeks before the 2020 election.
Why it matters: If the president can get infected, anyone can. And the scramble to figure out the scope of this outbreak is a high-profile, high-stakes microcosm of America's larger failures to contain the virus and to stand up a contact-tracing system that can respond to new cases before they have a chance to become outbreaks.
COVID-19 positives:
- President Trump tested positive early Friday and is reportedly experiencing "mild" symptoms.
- "Out of an abundance of caution," the president will work from Walter Reed military hospital in the Washington, D.C. suburbs "for the next few days," the White House said later on Friday.
- White House physician Sean Conley also said Friday that the president started a course of antiviral remdesivir treatment "in consultation with specialists" and was given an experimental antibody cocktail.
- The White House was in cleanup mode on Saturday, however, after Conley said he misspoke at a press conference earlier that day to update the nation on Trump's coronavirus diagnosis.
- In a video message posted to his Twitter feed later on Saturday, Trump said he was "starting to feel good" and "the next period of a few days, that's the real test."
- First lady Melania Trump tested positive early Friday and is experiencing "mild" symptoms.
- White House aide Hope Hicks tested positive on Thursday.
- Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tested positive on Wednesday.
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) tested positive on Thursday.
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) tweeted he tested positive on Friday.
- Former counselor to Trump Kellyanne Conway tweeted she tested positive on Friday.
- Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien tested positive on Friday.
- Sen. Ron Johnson tested positive for COVID-19, though he isn't experiencing symptoms.
- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tested positive on Saturday. He said that while he was experiencing only mild symptoms, he checked himself into a hospital as a "precautionary measure" due to his history of asthma.
- University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins, who attended the Rose Garden ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett's nomination, has tested positive.
- Three unidentified White House reporters who attended the ceremony have also tested positive.
- Director of Oval Office Operations Nick Luna tested positive, Bloomberg first reported Saturday. Luna, one of Trump's "body men," traveled with the president this week.
COVID-19 negatives:
- Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence tested negative on Friday, Saturday, again on Sunday, and again on Monday per administration officials.
- Attorney General Bill Barr has tested negative with two rapid tests and one PCR test, which is considered more accurate, according to a Justice Department spokesperson.
- White House social media director Dan Scavino tweeted Saturday night that his tests had "come back negative" and if Sunday morning's one returns the same result, he'll work from the Walter Reed Medical Center "until it’s time for POTUS to return home."
- Sen. James Lankford tested negative on Saturday and said he would quarantine until Oct. 12, after he met with Sen. Mike Lee several times throughout the last week.
- Eric and Lara Trump tested negative on Friday.
- Sen. Ben Sasse tested negative on Friday, a spokesperson told C-SPAN's Craig Caplan and several local outlets. The senator plans to work from home until Oct. 12.
- Rep. Jim Jordan tested negative on Friday, per a House Judiciary Committee statement.
- President Trump's son Barron Trump tested negative on Friday.
- Ivanka Trump tested negative on Friday.
- Jared Kushner tested negative on Friday.
- White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested negative on Friday, per two White House sources.
- Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett tested negative on Friday. Barrett previously tested positive for the coronavirus this summer, WashPost reports.
- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham tweeted on Friday that he tested negative. Graham added that he expects the committee to move forward with confirmation hearings for Barrett on Oct. 12 as planned, despite Sen. Lee's positive test. Graham did not mention Sen. Tillis, who is also on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar tested negative on Friday.
- Defense Secretary Mark Esper tested negative on Wednesday and will be tested again on Friday.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tested negative on Friday.
- United States National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow tested negative. Kudlow said he gets tested every day.
TBD:
- The COVID-19 status of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer remains unknown.
Among Democrats:
- Former Vice President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden twice tested negative on Friday. The Democratic presidential nominee again tested negative on Sunday, according to statements from the Biden campaign.
- Sen. Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, have both tested negative on Friday, according to a Harris aide.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tested negative on Friday, a spokesperson said and her daughter later tweeted.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with the latest coronavirus results.
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