Donald Trump speaking at the Iowa Republican Party's 2015 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
President Donald Trump announced early Friday morning that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
In an early-morning tweet, he also revealed Melania Trump has tested positive and they will be quarantining.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately.… https://t.co/CIIB2LDQtr— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)1601614446.0
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19.… https://t.co/lwtgNuHAR1— Melania Trump (@Melania Trump)1601616449.0
The bombshell news from a leader who has repeatedly downplayed coronavirus rocked the world and the 2020 campaign.
"Other aides to the president would not say whether he was experiencing symptoms, but people at the White House noticed that his voice sounded raspy on Thursday, although it was not clear that it was abnormal for him, especially given the number of campaign rallies he has been holding lately," The New York Times reported. "Mr. Trump’s positive test result could pose immediate difficulties for the future of his campaign against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., his Democratic challenger, with just 33 days before the election on Nov. 3. Even if Mr. Trump, 74, remains asymptomatic, he will have to withdraw from the campaign trail and stay isolated in the White House for an unknown period of time. If he becomes sick, it could raise questions about whether he should remain on the ballot at all."
Here are some of the things people were discussing:
Trump was accompanied by all of his adult children + senior WH/campaign staff on AF1 en route to debate. All were… https://t.co/lJfL3rkVnt— Annie Karni (@Annie Karni)1601624188.0
“Top advisers to the president described themselves as in a state of shock, and said they expected a number of addi… https://t.co/uKrF3FhROM— Carl Quintanilla (@Carl Quintanilla)1601624301.0
And that's your #OctoberSurprise. On October 1, no less. #TrumpHasCovid— Doug Sovern (@Doug Sovern)1601619594.0
Tomorrow's front page, remade at the last second https://t.co/PiD18exlgG— Demian Bulwa (@Demian Bulwa)1601617986.0
Trump is the commander in chief of US armed forces deployed in active wars and combat around the work and has sole… https://t.co/wFz0EF3CPU— Kevin Baron (@Kevin Baron)1601616112.0
Updated White House schedule removes Trump's planned in-person events https://t.co/Uj6rDv1E8D— Lindsey McPherson (@Lindsey McPherson)1601615704.0
President Trump has tested positive for COVID-19. In the last week, @realdonaldtrump has visited— ✅ Trump Doral ✅… https://t.co/o6hI9JF4I9— Zach Everson (@Zach Everson)1601615975.0
Fox News illustrates breaking news that Trump has tested positive for Covid with rare image of him briefly wearing… https://t.co/S5qEiS3U1x— Robert Mackey (@Robert Mackey)1601616042.0
On the Air Force One flight back from #Minnesota on Wednesday evening, @MarkMeadows came back to chat with those of… https://t.co/xH8VxwTgMf— Steve Herman (@Steve Herman)1601618127.0
Reminder that there is no testing regimen for members of the House and Senate. Some members are getting tested on… https://t.co/0CzXRBTsLV— K Tully-McManus (@K Tully-McManus)1601618024.0
A spokesperson for Vice President Mike Pence did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether he h… https://t.co/pRbTPh83UL— Hunter Walker (@Hunter Walker)1601618058.0
Dow futures plunge more than 400 points as Trump says he tested positive for coronavirus https://t.co/2A1qlG4Qlf— Josh Lederman (@Josh Lederman)1601615554.0
Dow futures have dropped 500 points on the news that President Trump has tested positive for coronavirus.— Jo Ling Kent (@Jo Ling Kent)1601616643.0
The president has the coronavirus. The vice presidential debate is in five days. The next presidential debate is… https://t.co/Fenhu7uMG1— Sahil Kapur (@Sahil Kapur)1601614813.0
I’m told a small group of officials were aware Thursday a.m. that Hope Hicks had tested positive. Despite that, Pre… https://t.co/qiuzeFPZ2s— Kaitlan Collins (@Kaitlan Collins)1601620586.0
Just noted on MSNBC by @JonLemire: Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows, who is around Trump often, has spent time i… https://t.co/pNohlOqGXj— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin)1601618401.0
I’m thinking of Biden and his family who had to go to & sit in an indoor event with the unmasked Trumps.— Taniel (@Taniel)1601619378.0
Trump and FLOTUS “are both well at this time,” per WH doctor Sean Conley. https://t.co/5tg39rNmB0— Andrew Desiderio (@Andrew Desiderio)1601615531.0
No one has any idea where this story goes from here. In the next hours, let alone days or weeks. I pray for everyon… https://t.co/m3B6eZeXH9— Dan Rather (@Dan Rather)1601615789.0
Trump at the Al Smith Dinner, hours before testing positive for COVID: "I just want to say that the end of the pan… https://t.co/Yl0mBufgeA— Andrew Solender (@Andrew Solender)1601616468.0
good point made on msnbc just now that this could very well delay amy coney barrett's supreme court confirmation hearing— Marlow Stern (@Marlow Stern)1601618036.0
https://t.co/gcHNbvg24I https://t.co/wE48dkB56q https://t.co/liWphjOoW2— George Conway (@George Conway)1601616660.0
Dr. Irwin Redlener: "The massive amount of contact tracing that has to happen now is overwhelming." @MSNBC— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin)1601618103.0
Former WH doctor Ronny Jackson on Fox: "I know first-hand that he's in great health. And I think he's going to be fine."— Jeremy Barr (@Jeremy Barr)1601618125.0
Gonna be like an October Surprise Advent Calendar— James Poniewozik (@James Poniewozik)1601606311.0
Statement from @kdurquiza, whose father supported Trump before dying from COVID: “I’ve now been exposed to COVID b… https://t.co/F0GjQERnS2— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Adrian Carrasquillo)1601623527.0
This letter is dated October 1 but Trump tweeted he was positive after midnight on Oct 2. When did the White House… https://t.co/H5OvgGLGQ0— Alexis Goldstein (@Alexis Goldstein)1601619591.0
Gravity of this situation in one cable TV hit: Carl Bernstein being interviewed by Anderson Cooper at 3:30 in th… https://t.co/9MgUNsrjSb— Molly Beck (@Molly Beck)1601624217.0
