Trump, First Lady in Quarantine After Senior Aide Gets COVID-19

By Dana Cruz Oct 02 2020, 01:52 AM EDT

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Picture

President Donald Trump and the first lady had started their "quarantine process" after White House senior aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to a USA Today source, Hicks tested positive for the coronavirus after travelling with Trump in the last few days.

Other than going on quarantine, Trump added that he and Melania Trump also took coronavirus tests.

Results are still pending for their tests but are expected to arrive soon. Trump said they would stay in quarantine until the results of their coronavirus tests come, reported CNN.

Hicks was in frequent contact with the president recently. She travelled with him to and from the first presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, the Reuters reported.

In photos of their arrival in Cleveland, Hicks was seen not wearing a protective face mask. Hicks also travelled on the presidential helicopter, Marine One, for a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday.

During a Fox News interview Thursday night, Trump said he's not sure if he does have the virus.

"She tested positive," he said. "Whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don't know."

"We spend a lot of time with Hope, and others," Trump added.

Trump also tweeted about Hicks's coronavirus test results. "Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19," he wrote.

In the same tweet, he also disclosed plans to begin his and the first lady's "quarantine process."

"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 spokesman Judd Deere.

Deere added that they are working closely with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office. He said the White House is ensuring all plans and procedures take CDC guidance into account.

According to a Bloomberg report, Hicks experienced symptoms linked to the coronavirus.

Hicks is not the only White House official who tested positive for the virus. Previously Katie Miller, the vice president's press secretary, also tested positive and has since recovered from COVID-19.

Hicks's Role in the White House

Hicks is one of Trump's longest-service aides. She was part of the president's original campaign team in 2015.

She took on the role of communications director and left the White House in 2018 to take a corporate executive job in Fox.

In February her return was announced by the White House, saying she will take the role as counselor to the president and aide to senior adviser Jared Kushner.

As Trump seeks reelection, Hicks played a key role in his communications strategy. Trump described her as a "very warm person."

Trump has been under fire for some time now because of holding rallies that critics believe will pose a risk to the spread of the coronavirus. Experts noted that these rallies are not commonly adhering to social distancing and mask-wearing that are key to slowing the spread of the virus.

The coronavirus has killed more than 200,000 people in the U.S. and has infected more than 7.2 million.