WASHINGTON — A White House military aide — reportedly part of a unit working closely alongside US President Donald Trump — has tested positive for coronavirus, but Trump has not been infected, a spokesman says.
“We were recently notified by the White House Medical Unit that a member of the United States Military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for Coronavirus,” Trump deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley says.
“The President and the Vice President have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health.”
According to a report by CNN, the military member in question is in the US Navy and works in a unit providing valet services to Trump.
Trump, his immediate entourage and guests to the White House are regularly given tests that provide results within about 15 minutes.
However, there are potential gaps in the screening, including journalists who may come within a short distance of the president but are not tested.
The president has steadfastly refused to wear a mask in public, as do his top officials, although the practice is encouraged by his own government guidelines.
— AFP
US President Donald Trump (R) and US Vice President Mike Pence (L) take part in a meeting with industry executives at the White House on the plan for “Opening Up America Again,” on April 29, 2020, in Washington. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
