White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has tested positive for COVID-19. McEnany revealed her diagnosis on Monday, Oct. 5, and will start the “quarantine process”.
“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” McEnany said in a statement.
McEnany’s positive test is the latest in nearly a dozen positive cases among President Donald Trump’s inner circle, including Trump and his wife, Melania.
Trump, who was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center for observation late Friday, is reportedly “eager” to be discharged home to the White House after responding well to a treatment regimen that included an antibody cocktail and a steroid.
The President’s advisers indicate that he would like to be discharged home by Monday evening.
“We’re still optimistic that based on his unbelievable progress and how strong he’s been in terms of his fight against this COVID-19 disease that he will be released, but that decision will not be made until later today,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on “Fox & Friends” on Monday.
The rash of positive tests in the Trump administration has sparked speculation that someone intentionally infected Trump and those in his inner circle.
Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee also tested positive, leading to calls for the Senate to delay the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Other White House staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 include senior adviser Hope Hicks, Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien, and director of Oval Office operations Nick Luna.
Trump’s former adviser KellyAnne Conway also tested positive as well as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who assisted Trump prior to his first debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Christie checked himself into the hospital over the weekend with “mild” flu-like symptoms.
