October 5, 2020
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Becomes Latest in Trump’s Cabinet To Test Positive For COVID-19
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and two of her deputies, Chad Gilmartin and Karoline Leavitt, have become the latest in the Trump administration to test positive for the coronavirus.
“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” McEnany said on Twitter. “No reporters, producers, or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit.”
It is not clear when Gilmartin, the principal assistant press secretary, and Leavitt, the assistant press secretary contracted the virus. Their conditions were made public after McEnany admitted her condition on Twitter.
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) October 5, 2020
McEnany, Gilmartin, and Leavitt are among more than 18 people in Trump’s circle to admit they have the virus since former senior advisor Hope Hicks tested positive last week. Others who’ve contracted the disease include Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien; Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel; Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway; former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Republican senators, Mike Lee (R-Utah); Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), as well as Nick Luna, the president’s personal assistant.
Additionally, three White House journalists and University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins, who attended an event for Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett, have also tested positive.
McEnany’s admission sounds even worse when considering in February she said during an appearance on Fox News that under Trump’s leadership, “We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here, we will not see terrorism come here, and isn’t that refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of President [Barack] Obama?”
On the same day Larry Kudlow said coronavirus was “contained” on Feb. 25th, Trump’s campaign spox made an even more bold claim.
“We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here..and isn't it refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of President Obama." pic.twitter.com/O0DDH3Rvkw
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) April 4, 2020
According to USA Today, Trump has fallen further behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the polls since the news of his positive test. USA Today‘s survey, conducted this weekend, found 65% – including 9 in 10 registered Democrats and 5 in 10 registered Republicans – say if Trump “had taken coronavirus more seriously, he probably would not have been infected.”
Additionally, slightly more than a third of Americans say Trump has been telling the country the truth about the pandemic, and 55% say he has not.