President Donald Trump & First Lady Test Positive for COVID-19

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus. They are under quarantine and are “feeling good,” they said.

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” he wrote.

Both the president and first lady “feel good,” Melania Trump wrote on Twitter shortly after the president’s announcement. Read more about how Trump’s weight and health could affect his prognosis here. Trump confirmed the positive test results at about 1 a.m. Friday, October 2, 2020. He said he and his wife were both under quarantine. In the hours leading up to the announcement, Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director and a current advisor to the president, tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the president and first lady to quarantine and get tested. COVID-19 testing has been routine at the White House.

Here’s what you need to know:

The President & First Lady Were Tested for the Coronavirus After a Senior Aide to the President Tested Positive for COVID-19

Hicks, a close advisor to Trump, traveled with him on Air Force One to and from the debate in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, September 29, and to and from a rally in Minnesota the next day, Bloomberg reported. She began feeling ill in Minnesota on Wednesday, September 30, and quarantined on the plane, sources told Bloomberg.

“She did test positive. I just heard about this,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News shortly after the announcement about Hicks’ positive test result.

Trump told Bloomberg he “was surprised” by Hicks’ positive test results, saying she routinely wore a mask. He described her as “a very warm person.”

About two hours before Trump announced he and his wife had tested positive for the coronavirus, he wrote on Twitter about Hicks’ positive test results and said he and Melania Trump were both under quarantine.

“Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!” he wrote on Twitter.

Trump’s Physician Says Trump Plans to Carry Out His Duties Without Disruption & Melania Trump Says They Are ‘Feeling Good’

Melania and Donald Trump have “postponed all upcoming engagements,” she wrote on Twitter in the hours after their positive test results were announced. She said they are both “feeling good.” They will be under quarantine at home, she wrote, “as too many Americans have done this year.”

“As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together,” she wrote.

The president’s physician, Sean P. Conley, released a statement to CNN saying he will monitor their health and expects Trump will continue in his duties without disruption:

The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence. The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions. Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement to Bloomberg that all activities of the president are done in accordance with CDC guidelines and structured through collaborations with Trump’s physician.

“The president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” Deere said. “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.”

READ NEXT: Trump’s BMI & Health: How it Impacts His COVID-19 Prognosis