Trump and First Lady Have COVID-19; President Being Hospitalized

The president faces his biggest campaign crisis yet just four weeks before the election.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

Read Full Bio

Neal Broverman

October 02 2020 1:17 AM EST

True

October 02 2020 2:51 AM EST

Nbroverman

We need your help
Your support makes The Advocate's original LGBTQ+ reporting possible. Become a member today to help us continue this work.

President Trump was helicoptered to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Friday evening. He had announced Thursday night that both he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Both were reported to be experiencing at least mild symptoms Friday.

\u201cTonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!\u201d
— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1601614446

Earlier today, reports surfaced that Trump adviser Hope Hicks had tested positive for the highly contagious disease that has killed over 205,000 Americans. Then Trump announced he and his wife would be quarantined because of Hicks's diagnosis, later adding that Hicks probably caught it from her interactions with the military and police officers.

The same night Trump admitted he had COVID, a disease he once called a hoax and later claimed would be gone by the summer, 2018 recordings emerged of Melania Trump going on a tirade about Christmas planning and criticism she received over husband's debased and unlawful policy of seperating migrant children from their parents.

It's not clear if Trump will be able to make any of the future debates with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Trump's campaign was already on very unsteady ground, with constant scandals, embarassments, and sliding fortunes and poll numbers.

Biden and his wife, Jill, have both tested negative for the virus. So has Democratic vice-presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, and Trump's vice president, Mike Pence, and Pence's wife, Karen.