Hope Hicks, one of President Donald Trump’s closest aides, tested positive for the coronavirus according to sources that spoke to Bloomberg News.
In an interview with Sean Hannity on his Fox News show on Thursday, the president said that he wasn’t sure if they would go into quarantine.
“But it’s very very hard when you are with people from the military or from law enforcement and they come over to you, and they want to hug you and they want to kiss you, because we really have done a good job for them, and you get close, and things happened, I was very surprised to hear with Hope, but she’s a very warm person with them,” he said. “She knows there’s a risk.”
A White House spokesperson released a statement but didn’t disclose any details about the report.
“The President takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” said spokesman 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 CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” he added.
Hicks reportedly travelled with the president recently numerous times, including when she was spotted going aboard Air Force One to go to the first presidential debate.
She also traveled on the presidential helicopter on Wednesday for a campaign rally in Minnesota.
Hicks, who is 31 years old, has been a personal aide to Trump since before he became president.
Coronavirus at the White House
Hicks would not be the only Trump administration member to have contracted the coronavirus, but she would be one of the closest to the president. In March, the press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence tested positive for the virus. Neither the president nor the vice president contracted the virus from the staffer.
In July, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said that he had tested positive for the virus when he took a routine test at the White House to visit the president. He said that he might have contracted it because of his mask, and his bad habit of grabbing and adjusting it.
Here’s a news video about the development:
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Hope Hicks tests positive for coronavirus following travel with Trump: Report
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