A matter of hours before President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump announced their positive COVID-19 diagnoses, rival Joe Biden took to social media to slam the President's response to the pandemic.
In the early hours of this morning (October 2), Trump took to Twitter to reveal that he and wife Melania have tested positive for COVID-19.
Initially, Trump had taken to Twitter to inform his 86.5 million followers that one of his top aides, Hope Hicks, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Trump wrote:
"Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!"
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Then, approximately two hours later, 74-year-old Trump confirmed that he and the First Lady, 50, had both tested positive and will continue quarantining:
"Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"
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Somewhat ironically, just a few hours prior to President Trump revealing on social media that he and the first lady had tested positive, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee called out the POTUS, slamming Trump's "failed COVID-19 response".
Tweeting to his 10.1 million followers, 77-year-old Biden wrote:
"Donald Trump will do everything he can to distract from the fact that because of his failed COVID-19 response:
- Over 200,000 Americans have died
- 26 million are on unemployment
- 1 in 6 small businesses risk permanent closureWe can’t let him."
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Biden is yet to comment on Donald and Melania Trump's diagnosis.
Hours before receiving the positive diagnosis, Trump was interviewed by Fox News' Sean Hannity, as he and his wife awaited their results.
"I just went out for a test [...] it will come back later I guess, and the first lady also because we spend a lot of time with Hope," Trump said.
Trump then told Hannity about how difficult it is social distance due to the many uniformed personnel he meets on a daily basis. The POTUS told Hannity:
"It's very hard when you're with soldiers, when you are with airmen, when you're with the Marines, and the police officers, I'm with them so much.
"And when they come over to you, it's hard to say, 'stay back, stay back.' You know, it's a tough kind of a situation, it's a terrible thing."
The President concluded by saying: "I just went for a test, and we'll see what happens. I mean, who knows [...] I was surprised to hear with Hope, but she's a very warm person with them."
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First Lady Melania has also taken to social media to comment on the news, writing to her 15.1 million Twitter followers:
"As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19.
"We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together."
Responding to the concerning news, Sean Conley, the physician to the president, has since written in a memo to the White House press secretary.
In his statement, Conley confirms that both Donald and Melania Trump are well, and will be under a "vigilant watch" from medical professionals.
"The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence," Conley wrote, adding:
"The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions.
"Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments."
Per Fox News, White House spokesman Judd Deere has also said in a statement that Donald Trump "takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously."
Deere added:
"White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling."
According to the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center, there has been 7,278,385 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, resulting in 207,808 deaths (as of this writing.