President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump have both tested positive and begun the process of quarantine, a month before the presidential election due to take place on November 3.
The president confirmed the positive result in a late evening tweet hours after Trump and the first lady were both tested for infection following a close White House aide Hope Hicks’ caught the virus.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence, who is the next in line for the presidency, has tested negative.
According to The New York Times, officials familiar with President Trump’s condition say he is showing mild symptoms of coronavirus infection.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Hicks had traveled with the president recently including his trip to Cleveland, Ohio, where he participated in the first presidential debate.
President Trump is defending his presidency against Democratic Joe Biden.
In the tweet, the president told his supporters that “we are in this together,” and he is immediately beginning the process of recovery.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pence has tested negative.
Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
