White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has become the latest person in the President’s inner circle to test positive for COVID-19, three days after Trump confirmed he’d been infected.
McEnany, 32, continued going to work at the White House despite Trump testing positive late on Thursday night and she took her mask off on Sunday to brief reporters.
She had been in close contact with Trump and others at White House who have tested positive, but repeatedly tested negatively herself until Monday.
Her assistant, Chad Gilmartin has also 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 said in a statement posted to Twitter.
‘As an essential worker, I have worked diligently to provide needed information to the American people at this time.
‘With my recent positive test, I will begin the quarantine process and continue working on behalf of the American people,’ she noted.
The White House staff are tested every day with rapid testing kits and have been relying on those results to let people back into the building since Trump’s diagnosis last week, even though it is commonly known that it can take several days after someone becomes exposed for their viral load to be substantial enough to yield a positive result.
After McEnany’s diagnosis on Monday, White House staffers were sent an email reminding them to stay home if they feel any symptoms. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen were both tested again on Monday and tested negative.
It comes as Trump, who has been at Walter Reed Medical Center since Friday night, will return to the White House tonight.
On Monday morning, the President fired off 19 early morning tweets reminding America to vote for him and brushed off criticism over his SUV outing.
One source cited by CNN said: ‘He is done with the hospital’ and is concerned about the toll his ongoing treatment for COVID-19 might have on his election chances.
Trump thinks being in the hospital makes him look ‘weak’, the source said.
It comes amid claims that Trump knew he had tested positive with the virus on Thursday night but kept it secret during an interview on Fox.
Other sources cited by The Washington Post said he is s bored of staying at Walter Reed and is tired of watching round-the-clock news coverage of his condition.
He is desperate to get back to work in the White House but aides are concerned if he leaves too early, it may be more detrimental to his health.
Trump on Monday fired off 19 tweets in quick succession, reminding the country to vote for him.
In a flurry of tweets starting at 6.30am on Monday, Trump boasted about the stock markets, promised to deliver more tax cuts and listed ‘pro life’, ‘space force’, ‘religious liberty’ and ‘law and order’ as among reasons why he should win again.
Over the weekend, Trump released several video addresses where he promised to be in good health despite his diagnosis, and the White House shared photographs of him working at the hospital.
On Sunday night, he made a surprise appearance outside the hospital to thank fans who had turned out with signs, flags and banners wishing him a speedy recovery.
But doctors – including one from Walter Reed – say it was irresponsible of him to get into the Presidential SUV with Secret Service agents and risk infecting them.
Dr James Phillips, a Walter Reed attending doctor, condemned the president’s Sunday afternoon drive, which violated Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.