White House COVID-19 outbreak

In September and October 2020, multiple people at the White House tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Background
On September16, it was reported that at least one unnamed staffer had tested positive.

On October 1, President Donald Trump, his wife Melania Trump, press advisor Hope Hicks, presidential campaign manager Bill Stepien, and former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tested positive for the coronavirus. Claudia Conway, the daughter of Kellyanne Conway, announced on Oct 4 that she had tested positive as well. On October5, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had also tested positive.

Trump tested positive days after the first presidential debate against Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio. Around eleven people tested positive who worked at the debates in Cleveland. Some of Trump's personal aides who prepared him for the debates also tested positive.

Many of the cases were rooted to be at the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the United States Supreme Court on September 26 and at a Trump campaign fundraiser event in Bedminster, New Jersey on October 1.

That same day, it was revealed that Senators Thom Tillis and Mike Lee both tested positive, as well as University of Notre Dame president John I. Jenkins. Three members of the White House press corps, including Michael D. Shear, also tested positive. 

On October 2, Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 

Also on October 2, many individuals connected to the White House were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Trump response

On October 4, Trump left the hospital in order to ride past a gathering of supporters at the medical center, waving from the back seat of an SUV, before returning to the hospital. This was seen as a political stunt and many criticized Trump for possible putting other people at risk for getting infected. Many Secret Service agents were upset at Trump as he could have infected them with one agent saying: "He's not even pretending to care now".

Reaction

The incident has been compared to the non-fatal shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1981, which saw similar concerns over continuity of government amid incapacitation of the president.

Stock markets briefly fell more than 1.5 percent after Trump announced his diagnosis, but they cut their losses after Pelosi said she anticipated an economic relief deal. The S&P 500 Index ended the day down almost 1 percent.

Twitter announced that any posts wishing for Trump's death would be removed for violating the platform's terms of service. Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley criticized Twitter for not taking threats against them seriously, pointing to longstanding posts calling for their deaths that had not been removed. Facebook and TikTok announced similar policies.

Tested negative
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, Presidential candidate Joe Biden, Biden's running mate Kamala Harris, Biden's wife Jill Biden, Attorney General William Barr, and Trump Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett all tested negative in the day following public revelation of the outbreak. 

Many of Trump's family members, including Ivanka Trump, Barron Trump, Jared Kushner, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. also received a negative result.

Cases

References

September 2020 events
October 2020 events
Donald Trump
COVID-19 pandemic
2020 in the United States