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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lois Beckett, Joan E Greve and Martin Belam

Trump hospitalized following Covid diagnosis as ex-aide Kellyanne Conway tests positive – as it happened

Evening summary: coronavirus in the Rose Garden

It has been an extraordinary 24 hours in American politics, and the next few days are unlikely to be much calmer. You can continue to follow US political updates on our global coronavirus blog, helmed by my colleague Christopher Knaus in Australia.

Here’s the highlights of today’s developments.

  • Less than a day after announcing he had tested positive for Covid-19, Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed medical center, where officials said he would spend the next few days.
  • Trump walked himself to the helicopter that transported him to the hospital, and White House officials said he was doing well and would be staying at the hospital out of “an abundance of caution”.
  • The White House said late Friday night that Trump was being treated with remdesivir. Trump tweeted that it was “going well”.
  • It’s still not clear how and when Trump was infected with coronavirus, but a White House Rose Garden event last Saturday announcing Amy Coney Barrett as Trump’s supreme court nominee emerged as a key moment, with at least seven people at the event later announcing they had tested positive for coronavirus.
  • Republican senators Thom Tillis and Mike Lee, both members of the Senate judiciary committee, said they had tested positive for coronavirus, raising questions about the scheduled confirmation hearing process for Barrett, which is scheduled to begin in 10 days. The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said early Friday that he intended to move along with the confirmation process.
  • Melania Trump, Kellyanne Conway, the Notre Dame president, John Jenkins, and a White House reporter also tested positive after the Rose Garden event.
  • Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the country needed to unite in the face of Trump’s illness. Biden’s campaign said it would be suspending negative ads about Trump, but that Biden would continue campaigning for the time being. Trump’s campaign said it would still run negative ads about Biden.
  • There are still many questions about how many other workers and employees may have been exposed to coronavirus by the president or his inner circle, including secret service members, White House reporters, and staffers at the president’s campaign fundraiser in New Jersey on Thursday night.

Updated

Trump is being treated with remdesivir, White House says

A late-night update from the White House press secretary:

Remdesivir, the first drug approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat Covid-19, has been shown to help people recover faster from the disease. Read more here.

Updated

Trump tweets that his hospitalization is ‘going well’

It is nearly midnight in Washington, DC, but the president, who ihospitalized with coronavirus, appears to be awake.

Scrutinizing the timeline of Trump’s coronavirus contacts

As we learn more about the people exposed to Trump over the past few days, his choice to fly to a fundraiser in New Jersey on Thursday night is likely to attract more scrutiny.

More video of Trump allies who now have coronavirus mingling at Rose Garden event

Few masks, no social distancing.

Secret Service agents reportedly furious at Trump's behavior during pandemic

Secret Service agents almost never complain about the president. It’s “unheard of,” the Washington Post reports. But now, current agents’ frustration at Trump’s behavior during the coronavirus pandemic is seeping out into public view.

“Some currently in the ranks had become convinced during the pandemic that Trump was willing to put his protectors in harm’s way,” the Post reports, noting that some agents feel like he has put the people sworn to protect him in harm’s way.

“He’s never cared about us,” one agent told a friend, the Post reports. Another said in an internal message group: “This administration doesn’t care about the Secret Service.”

The husband of former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, who just announced that she had tested positive for coronavirus after attending a Rose Garden event, used the news story to suggest his own feelings about his wife’s announcement.

Updated

Was the announcement of Trump’s supreme court nominee a super-spreader event?

Confirmed cases linked to Saturday’s Rose Garden event are rising. The event was Trump’s formal announcement that he was nominating Amy Coney Barrett to fill progressive champion Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s seat on the supreme court. Ginsberg, who died on 18 September, had made clear that she believed her replacement should not be confirmed until after the 2020 election.

Updated

Rose Garden ceremony linked to at least seven confirmed coronavirus cases

Politico has made a visual guide to the growing number of Trump officials and allies who have tested positive for coronavirus since attending a crowded Rose Garden ceremony last Saturday announcing Amy Coney Barrett as Trump’s supreme court nominee.

Many of those who have since announced they tested positive for the virus were seated close together.

As Huffington Post’s Igor Bobic notes, the chairs for the ceremony were not even spaced out.

Updated

Little transparency, many questions as coronavirus cases mount in Washington

Within 24 hours, Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, then announced he was going to be hospitalized for several days.

Key players in the government received no warning about the president’s condition.

And, at a moment of deep uncertainty for the country and for the 2020 election, the Trump administration has a consistent record of making statements that are not true.

“A crisis of confidence that has been building for four years,” as journalist Abby Phillip put it.

Kellyanne Conway has tested positive for Covid-19, says symptoms are ‘mild’

She is the seventh person at the Rose Garden event announcing Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court to confirm she has tested positive for coronavirus.

Updated

‘I’m just not’ worried about getting coronavirus, Trump told Woodward in April

New audio recording from Trump’s 13 April interview with journalist Bob Woodward includes Trump explaining why, despite the risks he was taking, he was “just not” worried about getting coronavirus.

“I don’t know why I’m not. I’m not,” Trump said.

Updated

Vice-presidential candidates will debate while 12ft apart

Updated

11 coronavirus cases linked to presidential debate in Cleveland

Everyone agreed: the first 2020 presidential debate was a mess. And that was before it became clear that a growing number of debate attendees had been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Cleveland city officials announced earlier today that they had confirmed at least 11 cases of coronavirus connected with the presidential debate held there on Tuesday.

“In total, at this time, we are aware of 11 cases stemming from pre-debate planning and set-up, with the majority of cases occurring among out of state residents,” a press release said. “At this time, though that could change, no City residents appear to have contracted the virus as a result of this event.”

Ohio’s Democratic state house minority leader tweeted earlier today about her frustration with the debate attendees, including members of Trump’s family, who refused to wear masks.

Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle say they tested negative for COVID-19

Per Fox News reporter Bill Hemmer:

Will Covid-19 diagnoses delay confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett?

Ten days before a contentious and divisive supreme court Senate hearing, two GOP senators have tested positive for Covid-19

The confirmation hearings for Trump’s supreme court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, are slated to begin on 12 October. Two Republican members of the Senate judiciary committee have just been diagnosed with Covid-19. (They are among six people at a crowded White House Rose Garden ceremony for Barrett that have already tested positive for the virus.)

The Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, is now calling to delay the confirmation hearings for Barrett.

“It is irresponsible and dangerous to move forward with a hearing, and there is absolutely no good reason to do so,” Schumer wrote on Twitter.

Huffington Post reports that the two GOP senators are instead planning to quarantine for 10 days, rather than 14, which would mean they would be out of quarantine by the beginning of the scheduled hearing.

The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, wrote earlier today that the hearings should proceed despite Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis.

Updated

Twitter says it will remove tweets expressing hope that Trump dies of coronavirus

The social media company said that “this does not automatically mean suspension” for users that tweet about hoping that Trump dies.

Another GOP senator at Rose Garden even for Supreme Court nominee tests positive

This brings the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases among attendees at the event to six, CNN reporter Betsy Klein notes.

What we know and don’t know about Trump’s coronavirus

There are many unanswered questions surrounding Donald Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis and treatment. The Associated Press has a great breakdown of what we know about Trump’s case of coronavirus, and what we still don’t know.

What symptoms does he have?

The White House officially has given few details, except that he had a fever and was fatigued.

How is he being treated?

Trump’s physician, Dr Sean Conley, said Friday doctors were providing Trump with an experimental antibody cocktail; vitamin D; famotidine, which is typically used to treat heartburn and acid reflux; the sleep aid melatonin; and an aspirin.

And while he said initially that Trump planned to stay at the White House, the White House announced late Friday afternoon Trump instead would be working from “presidential offices” at Walter Reed.

When did Trump know he had been exposed?

That question is important to answering whether the president continued his campaign events and other activities despite knowing he might be infecting others, and to knowing whether the White House was adequately transparent about Trump’s illness.

White House officials say they learned of adviser Hope Hicks’ positive test results for the coronavirus Thursday, after Trump boarded the Marine One helicopter for a private fundraiser in New Jersey. But Trump went ahead with the trip and the fundraiser. He told Fox News that evening he was being tested.

Just before 1am Friday, he tweeted that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive.

Who infected Trump?

We don’t know, although there’s no shortage of possible suspects. Trump, who typically shuns masks, was around hundreds if not thousands of people this week, traveling to a campaign rally, his golf club, the presidential debate, fundraisers and meetings with people involved in his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court.

Hicks, one of Trump’s closest advisers, fell ill with the coronavirus Wednesday while accompanying Trump to a fundraiser in Minnesota, officials say. It’s not clear if her case is related to the president’s. And Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who was at the White House last weekend, announced Friday he had tested positive.

The White House medical unit is slated to trace the president’s contacts.

Updated

Trump will keep running negative campaign ads against Biden

While Joe Biden is going to stop running negative campaign ads after Trump has been diagnosed with coronavirus, the Trump campaign has confirmed that they are not going to pause their attack ads against Biden.

Trump very tired and having some trouble breathing, unnamed adviser tells CNN

While White House officials continue to say the president is doing fine, one unnamed Trump campaign adviser tells CNN that the president is very fatigued and having some trouble breathing. “This is serious,” the source said.

This is an account from a single anonymous source, so weigh it accordingly. We’ll update you if there are any confirmations about the seriousness of the president’s condition tonight.

Updated

Former Homeland Security chief says officials in ‘line of succession’ should quarantine

Why is Trump at the hospital if he is doing ‘very well’? He was ‘spooked’, a source says

If Trump is really doing “very well”, as he told the public in a video released today, then why is he spending the next few days at the hospital?

The Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove notes that Boris Johnson was not admitted to the hospital until nine days after he tested positive for coronavirus, but that Trump chose to go to the hospital within 24 hours of announcing his diagnosis.

Despite hours of nonstop coverage of the president’s journey from the White House to Walter Reed medical center, we still don’t really know why the president has been hospitalized, particularly if his symptoms are mild, as the White House has suggested.

One possible answer: CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reports that Trump himself was “spooked” about testing positive and “increasingly alarmed” as he developed symptoms, including a fever, overnight.

Updated

What’s in the presidential suite at Walter Reed medical center?

Walter Reed is known as the president’s hospital. It contains a White House-controlled suite for the president to receive medical care. More details on what that means from journalist Scott MacFarlane:

Trump has never spent the night at a hospital before, Bloomberg reports

The president “has never overnighted at a hospital before”, and has a longstanding “distaste for hospitals”, Bloomberg’s White House correspondent notes.

“The fact that Trump, who is wary of doctors, agreed to go to Walter Reed is a sign of concern about his condition,” several sources told Bloomberg.

Updated

Exactly four years ago today, Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for having pneumonia

New Jersey contact tracers waited a full day on names of donors, staff exposed to Trump

By late Friday afternoon, contact tracers in New Jersey were still waiting for White House and RNC officials to hand over the list of names of people exposed to coronavirus after coming in contact with Trump last night at a fundraiser at a New Jersey golf course, Huffington Post’s Molly Redden reports.

Public social media posts from some attendees of Trump’s fundraiser also show them out in public, mingling with other people, and not wearing masks, even half a day after Trump’s diagnosis was made public.

Just minutes ago, after the story about the delay in contact tracing information was published and prompting widespread outrage, a New Jersey official confirmed the list of names had finally been sent.

Updated

Three White House reporters tested positive for COVID-19 today

Chris Hayes, the MSNBC host, blamed White House for “disregarding public safety best practices and thereby turning the WH into an unsafe workplace for everyone.”

Biden will continue campaigning, at least for now

While Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has pulled his negative campaign ads after the announcement that the president has been diagnosed with coronavirus, he is staying on the campaign trail, the New York Times reports.

But the choice to keep campaigning will be evaluated “hour to hour,” based on Trump’s condition, Jonathan Martin reports.

Details of Trump’s arrival at Walter Reed medical center

The president arrived in Marine One at the Walter Reed Landing Zone at 6:29 PM, according to the White House pool reporter:

He stepped down from the helicopter alone, wearing a black mask, and got into a black SUV. He was followed by a couple aides, including WH chief of staff Mark Meadows.

As the motorcade passed by the press pool, which was positioned across the street from the landing zone, the president -- seated on the right side of the vehicle -- waved at press through the left window of the vehicle.

Twitter suspending some users for writing ‘I hope Donald Trump dies’

As Donald Trump made his way to Walter Reed medical center for treatment on Friday, many people on Twitter, including his opponent Joe Biden, wished him a speedy recovery. Others did the opposite, saying they hope he dies from the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States under his leadership.

Doing this violates Twitter policies, the social media platform confirmed to tech website Motherboard on Friday, and could result in suspension. Twitter’s “Abusive Behavior policy” prohibits tweets “wishing or hoping serious harm on a person or group of people.” A spokesperson from the company told Motherboard it is suspending some users but will not act on every tweet.

“We’re prioritizing the removal of content when it has a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm,” the spokesperson told the publication. In light of the rule refresher, some people are finding creative ways around it.

Facebook’s rules differ slightly: users can express that they wish death upon someone as long as that person is a public figure and they are not tagged in the post. In other words, it’s OK to post that you want Trump to die as long as you do not expose Trump himself to “calls for death, serious disease, epidemic disease, or disability.”

President Trump has landed at Walter Reed hospital

There is now full video of him walking unassisted to Marine One.

As Obama sends best wishes for Trump’s health, Trump campaign blasts ‘Lyin’ Obama’

‘I think I’m doing very well,’ Trump says in video about hospitalization

Trump has tweeted out a video of him explaining that he’s headed to Walter Reed hospital, but reassuring Americans that he’s doing “very well.”

“We’re going to make sure that things work out,” Trump said. He added that the first lady is also “doing very well.”

Biden takes down negative campaign ads, going 'all-positive'

As Trump heads to the hospital with coronavirus, his Democratic opponent Joe Biden is taking down negative campaign ads against Trump, the New York Times reports. Instead, the campaign will focus on “all-positive” ads.

The decision was made before the White House announced that Trump was being hospitalized, a source tells the Times.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is still sending out negative campaign ads, my colleague Oliver Laughland notes. A Trump campaign email blast went out this afternoon with the subject line ‘Lyin’ Obama.’ It accuses Biden of hiding in a basement.

Lyin’ Obama and Phony Kamala Harris are calling up their Liberal MEGA DONORS to come and rescue Joe Biden’s failing campaign - They’re holding a COASTAL ELITE fundraiser RIGHT NOW.

We all know that Sleepy Joe isn’t fit to be YOUR President. We know it. You know it. And even Obama knows it - that’s why he’s holding a fundraiser with Kamala instead of Joe, who is probably already asleep in his basement.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly sends Trump good wishes

‘This cannot be a partisan moment,’ Biden tweets as Trump heads to the hospital

‘I have never seen so many White House staffers wearing masks’

Now that the president has been diagnosed with coronavirus, White House staffers are wearing masks in a way they did not before, CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond notes.

Trump walks to Marine One to fly to the hospital

The visual of Trump striding out alone to the helicopter is likely to be seen as a reassurance that his case of coronavirus is still mild.

The president did not stop to answer questions.

Updated

Why fly Trump to the hospital? It’s a normal choice, some experts say

Is it significant that Trump is being flown to Walter Reed in Marine One rather than taking a motorcade to the hospital?

A former Secret Service agent says no, not really: this is a typical choice.

“Flying is always the safer option,” Jonathan Wackrow wrote.

Journalist Yashar Ali made a similar point:

Trump still has not left the White House

It’s been more than 45 minutes now that Marine One has been waiting on the South Lawn to fly the president to Walter Reed medical center.

How sick is Donald Trump? News of hospitalization prompts questions

White House officials have described the choice to move Trump to Walter Reed medical center as a choice made “out of an abundance of caution,” and have described him as “working from” Walter Reed for the next few days. But the move has prompted obvious questions: if the president has only “mild symptoms,” why move him to the hospital?

All eyes on Washington as reporters wait for Trump to be flown to the hospital

Reporters at the White House have been standing by as they wait for Trump to be flown to Walter Reed medical center, where he’s expected to stay for the next few days, according to White House officials.

It’s a striking contrast to months of campaign talking points that Joe Biden is not healthy enough to be president, as journalist Joshua Green notes:

No transfer of power as Trump heads to hospital with Covid-19

Trump is not transferring power to the vice-president, Mike Pence, as he heads to the hospital for what is expected to be a few days, NBC News reports.

“The president is in charge,” a White House spokeswoman said.

“Absolutely not” another spokesperson said.

Updated

Trump to be hospitalized 'for the next few days' in the wake of Covid diagnosis

The White House has confirmed that the president will go to Walter Reed medical center and stay there for “the next few days”.

The Associated Press reported that Marine One just arrived on the White House lawn to fly Trump to Walter Reed medical center, known as the “president’s hospital”.

A White House pool reporter stationed at Walter Reed medical center in advance of the news wrote a few minutes ago that they were still awaiting the president’s arrival.

The full White House statement on the president’s hospitalization:

“President Trump remains in good spirts, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day. Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days. President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady.”

Updated

Today so far

That’s it from me on this historic Friday. My west coast colleague, Lois Beckett, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • The White House physician said Trump “remains fatigued but in good spirits” after testing positive for coronavirus. In a statement released by the White House, Dr Sean Conley said Trump was being treated with an experimental coronavirus antibody cocktail, as well as zinc, vitamin D and melatonin. The first lady, who also tested positive, “remains well with only a mild cough and headache”, Conley added.
  • Joe Biden said Trump’s positive test result was a “bracing reminder” of the seriousness of coronavirus. Speaking in Grand Rapids, Michigan, moments ago, Biden said, “This is not a matter of politics. It’s a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It’s not going away automatically.” Before traveling, the Democratic nominee and his wife, Jill, tested negative for the virus.
  • The Trump campaign has postponed events involving the president and his family. All of Trump’s planned events will be postponed or moved to a virtual setting. Vice-president Mike Pence, who has tested negative for coronavirus, intends to move forward with his planned campaign travel.
  • Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett reportedly had coronavirus this summer and has recovered. Senate Republicans have said they still plan to hold Barrett’s confirmation hearings starting October 12, despite the health crisis in the White House.
  • The US unemployment rate fell to 7.9% in September. The latest report from the labor department, which was overshadowed by news of Trump contracting coronavirus, showed the US economy added just 661,000 jobs last month.

Lois will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Joe Biden closed his speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by once again sending his best wishes to Trump and his family.

“May God protect the First Family, and every family that is dealing with this virus,” Biden said. “And may God protect our troops.”

With that, the Democratic nominee left the podium without taking questions from reporters. Biden kept his surgical mask on for the entirety of his speech.

Biden emphasized the importance of wearing masks while delivering a speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Democratic nominee noted data indicates 100,000 lives could be saved in the coming months if Americans consistently wear masks.

“Be patriotic. It’s not about being a tough guy; it’s about doing your part. Wearing a mask is not only going to protect you, but it also protects those around you,” Biden said.

“Don’t just do it for yourself. Do it for the people you love, the people you work with.”

Interestingly, the Democratic nominee has kept his own surgical mask on since he started speaking. At other recent events, Biden has taken his mask off once he started speaking and put it back on after he concluded.

Biden: Trump's positive test result is a 'bracing reminder' of the seriousness of coronavirus

Joe Biden is now delivering a campaign speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after he tested negative for coronavirus.

The Democratic nominee apologized for his late arrival, saying he wanted to ensure they were “doing everything by the numbers” after the president announced he had contracted coronavirus.

Biden said he received two coronavirus tests this morning, both of which were negative.

“We wanted to make sure everything was clear before I came,” Biden said.

Biden also noted he canceled an event scheduled at one of his Michigan campaign offices, on the advice of health experts.

The nominee offered his prayers to the president and the first lady for a rapid recovery from coronavirus.

“My wife, Jill, and I pray that they’ll make a quick and full recovery,” Biden said.

He went on to say, “This is not a matter of politics. It’s a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It’s not going away automatically.”

Biden encouraged all Americans to take every possible precaution to avoid spreading the virus, including wearing masks, frequently washing their hands and practicing social distancing.

Updated

The biotechnology company Regeneron released a report earlier this week on its experimental coronavirus antibody cocktail, which the president is now taking to treat his symptoms.

CNN reports:

Regeneron released some early results of tests using its antibody cocktail in coronavirus patients Tuesday, and said it seemed to reduce levels of the virus and improve symptoms in patients.

The greatest improvements were seen in patients who hadn’t already mounted a natural response to the infection, the company said. ...

The treatment also showed positive trends at reducing medical visits for the patients, none of whom were sick enough to be hospitalized at the start of the trial, the company said.

It’s important to note the results only involved 275 patients, and the Regeneron data has not yet been peer-reviewed.

White House doctor says Trump is 'fatigued but in good spirits'

The White House has released a statement from Trump’s physician saying the president is “fatigued but in good spirits” after testing positive for coronavirus.

Dr Sean Conley said the president received a single eight-gram dose of the Regeneron polyclonal antibody cocktail, zinc and vitamin D as part of his treatment.

The first lady “remains well with only a mild cough and headache”, Conley added. The rest of the first family has tested negative for coronavirus.

Updated

Trump’s coronavirus symptoms include a low-grade fever, according to multiple reports.

The New York Times reports:

The president, who said early Friday morning that he had tested positive for the virus, has a low-grade fever, nasal congestion and a cough, according to two people close to Mr. Trump. At a fund-raiser he attended at his golf club at Bedminster, N.J., on Thursday, where one attendee said the president came in contact with about 100 people, he seemed lethargic. ...

A White House official said that as of Thursday night, the president’s treatment plan was still being discussed. So was a possible national address or a videotaped statement from the president to demonstrate that he was functioning and that the government is uninterrupted.

Pelosi tests negative for coronavirus

The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has tested negative for coronavirus, her spokesperson just announced.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Speaker Pelosi was tested for Covid-19 this morning by the Capitol’s Office of the Attending Physician,” said spokesperson Drew Hammill. “Dr Monahan just informed the speaker that she tested negative.”

The Democratic speaker said this morning that she had taken a test because she had an in-person meeting with the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, this week.

Mnuchin said earlier today that he had tested negative as well.

Updated

Joe Biden has arrived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Democratic nominee will soon deliver a speech on the economy.

Biden will likely open his remarks by addressing the news that the president and the first lady tested positive for coronavirus.

The Biden campaign released a statement from the nominee’s doctor this morning saying Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, had tested negative for the virus.

It’s worth noting the president’s Twitter feed has been oddly silent since he announced he and the first lady had tested positive for coronavirus.

Trump frequently tweets dozens of times a day to amplify his campaign messaging and criticize his opponents, particularly Joe Biden.

But the president has sent no such messages today. The president also reportedly did not participate in the one event on his schedule today, a phone call with New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo.

Trump was originally scheduled to hold a fundraising roundtable in Washington and travel to Florida for a campaign rally today, but both of those events were canceled after the president announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.

Updated

A spokesperson for Rudy Giuliani said he has tested negative for coronavirus, per NBC News.

Giuliani, who serves as Trump’s personal attorney, attended Tuesday’s debate as a guest of the president.

Larry Kudlow, a senior economic adviser at the White House, said Trump appears to have a “very moderate case” of coronavirus.

“The president was kind of barking out orders for all of us, giving us tasks this morning to follow through. He’s on the phone,“ Kudlow told Fox News.

“I have not talked to him today, but apparently he’s doing just fine,” Kudlow added.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said this morning that Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” of coronavirus, and the first lady said her symptoms are also mild.

The University of Utah is moving forward with plans to host the vice presidential debate on Wednesday, per Buzzfeed News.

A university spokesperson said everyone at the debate, with the exception of the vice presidential nominees and the moderator, will be required “to wear masks at all times.”

Of course, that was also the rule in Cleveland for Tuesday’s presidential debate, but several members of the Trump family were still not wearing masks and even declined to take masks offered by a Cleveland Clinic employee.

Coronavirus relief package negotiations continue between Democratic congressional leadership and the White House, despite the bombshell news that Trump tested positive for coronavirus.

A spokesperson for House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she spoke by phone to treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin for about an hour today.

Pelosi and Mnuchin remain far apart on a number of provisions in the bill, including the amount of funding for unemployment insurance and state and local governments.

The House passed the Democratic coronavirus relief package last night, but the bill appears to have no future in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Dr Scott Atlas gave an interview to Fox News earlier today, in which the White House adviser predicted the president and the first lady would make “a complete, full and rapid recovery” and said there is “zero reason to panic.”

But Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who moderated Tuesday’s presidential debate, took issue with trusting Atlas as a source of information.

“I’m going to say something, and folks, I’m just trying to give you the truth,” Wallace said. “Dr Scott Atlas is not an epidemiologist, is not an infectious disease specialist. He has no training in this area at all.”

Wallace referenced reports indicating other members of the White House coronavirus task force have raised concerns about Atlas’ credibility.

“I very much hope everything he says is true,” Wallace added. “One, he can’t know because the president is just in the earliest stages of this. And two, you know, I understand the desire of the White House and its political people to try to talk this down.”

Wallace then urged viewers to follow the advice of health experts like Drs Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx. “Listen to the independent people who do not have a political ax to grind, and I frankly don’t think Scott Atlas is one of those people,” Wallace said.

The Office of the Attending Physician on Capitol Hill has offered an update on coronavirus testing for lawmakers and their staffers.

“The Office of Attending Physician presently provides coronavirus testing utilizing a sample obtained from the deep recesses of a patient’s nose, in a testing facility that follows CDC guidelines for healthcare personnel,” the update says.

“The testing is available in medically indicated cases of Members who have symptoms suggestive of coronavirus or who are concerned they may have been exposed to a known positive Covid 19 patient. ... Other staff members who have been in contact with a known positive case here at the Capitol are also offered testing.”

However, there are still no mandated coronavirus tests for members of Congress and their staffers.

The White House released a statement saying vice-president Mike Pence is not required to quarantine, despite Trump’s positive coronavirus test result.

“Earlier this morning under my care, Vice President Mike Pence tested negative for COVID-19,” Dr Jesse T Schonau said in the statement.

“Under the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Vice President is not considered a close contact with any individuals who have tested positive for COVID, including President Donald J. Trump. Vice President Mike Pence does not need to quarantine.

“Vice President Mike Pence remains in good health and is free to go about his normal activities.”

The Trump campaign previously said the president’s events would be postponed or moved to a virtual setting but the vice president planned to continue with his campaign travel.

Updated

According to the Washington Post, there were at least two private receptions at the White House on Saturday to celebrate the supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.

The events were attended by a number of senior officials, and few guests wore masks or observed social distancing.

Several people who were at the White House on Saturday -- including the president, the first lady, Republican senator Mike Lee and the president of the University of Notre Dame -- have now tested positive for the virus.

Briefly speaking to reporters moments ago, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended Trump’s decision to move forward with a New Jersey fundraiser after learning his top aide had tested positive for coronavirus.

McEnany said the “White House operations” team determined it was safe for the president to travel to New Jersey and hold the fundraiser yesterday, despite Hope Hicks’ positive test result.

McEnany also denied knowledge of Hicks’ illness at the time of her White House briefing yesterday morning.

The press secretary deflected questions about the timeline of notification during a Fox News interview shortly before talking to reporters at the White House.

“Yeah, I don’t know the answer to that,” McEnany told Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, who asked when Trump learned Hicks had tested positive. “I’m not going to get into an exact timeline.”

As the Trump campaign postpones its events in light of the president contracting coronavirus, Biden is en route to Michigan, where the Democratic nominee will deliver a speech on the economy this afternoon.

Biden was photographed wearing a mask as he boarded his campaign plane moments ago, after he tested negative for coronavirus this morning.

Biden shared a debate stage with Trump on Tuesday, but the two nominees were instructed not to shake hands and to remain several feet apart from each other.

Trump campaign postpones events involving First Family

The president’s campaign has announced any events involving Trump or his family will be postponed or held in a virtual setting.

“All previously announced campaign events involving the President’s participation are in the process of being moved to virtual events or are being temporarily postponed,” campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement.

“In addition, previously announced events involving members of the First Family are also being temporarily postponed. All other campaign events will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we will make any relevant announcements in the days ahead.”

Stepien noted vice-president Mike Pence would continue with his campaign schedule because he has tested negative, although it can take several days for coronavirus symptoms to develop.

Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, who has announced he’s tested positive for coronavirus, has been buzzing around the White House and Capitol Hill for the last week.

Here’s the maskless busy been from the Beehive State with supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Amy Coney Barrett and Mike Lee on Capitol Hill earlier this week.
Amy Coney Barrett and Mike Lee on Capitol Hill earlier this week. Photograph: Reuters

The two met up on Capitol Hill but Lee also attended the event where Donald Trump nominated Barrett at the White House last Saturday.

Updated

Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett had Covid in summer

This extraordinary plot twist, just as questions are pouring in about the event at the White House last Saturday evening where Donald Trump announced federal judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee for the supreme court, to fill the seat vacated by the death of liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg two weeks ago.

Barrett was taken to Capitol Hill by Mike Pence earlier this week to meet Senator majority leader Mitch McConnell.

Amy Coney Barrett and Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill this week.
Amy Coney Barrett and Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill this week. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

The Republican donors who attended Trump’s fundraising event in New Jersey yesterday are reportedly panicking following news that the president has tested positive for coronavirus.

CNBC reports:

GOP donors have been reaching out to Trump campaign and GOP officials for any guidance following the event, according to a person briefed on the matter.

‘The donors have been texting and calling. Freaking out,’ the person with direct knowledge said. This person declined to be named as the conversations were deemed private.

Trump’s campaign, as of Friday morning, has not sent out any official guidance to many of the donors involved with the event.

About 30 to 50 donors came close to the president Thursday night, this person added, while noting most of the interaction with Trump took place outdoors. Many of those contributors who have been able to get in touch with GOP officials have been told to stay home and reach out to their physician for next steps.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy has instructed those who attended the fundraising event to “take full precautions, including self-quarantining and getting tested.”

Today so far

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Donald and Melania Trump are experiencing “mild symptoms” after testing positive for coronavirus. The president announced overnight that he had tested positive for coronavirus after one of his top aides, Hope Hicks, contracted the virus.
  • Joe and Jill Biden tested negative for coronavirus. Biden shared a debate stage with Trump on Tuesday, but the two presidential nominees were instructed not to shake hands and to remain several feet apart from each other.
  • The US unemployment rate fell to 7.9% in September. The latest report from the labor department, which was overshadowed by news of Trump contracting coronavirus, showed the US economy added just 661,000 jobs last month.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Biden to continue campaign travel after testing negative

Democratic nominee Joe Biden is moving forward with his plans to travel to Michigan today, after testing negative for coronavirus.

According to a pool report, Biden’s motorcade was en route to the airport as of about 20 minutes ago.

Biden was scheduled to travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan, today to deliver a speech on the economy and attend a “mobilization event.”

There had been speculation that Biden would scrap the trip after the president announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.

But the nominee is traveling as planned after his doctor announced Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, had tested negative for coronavirus.

Again, it’s important to note that additional testing will likely be required to ensure Biden did not contract the virus at Tuesday’s debate because it can take several days to develop coronavirus symptoms.

Notre Dame president tests positive after White House visit

The president of the University of Notre Dame, Rev John Jenkins, has tested positive for coronavirus after attending a White House event on Saturday.

The university said in a statement that Jenkins received a test after learning a colleague had tested positive for the virus. He plans to isolate as he recovers.

“My symptoms are mild and I will continue work from home,” Jenkins said. “The positive test is a good reminder for me and perhaps for all of how vigilant we need to be.”

Jenkins attended Saturday’s event in the White House Rose Garden, where Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court.

The university president received criticism for not wearing a mask and for shaking hands while at the event, and he later apologized for ignoring coronavirus guidelines.

Senator Mike Lee, who has also tested positive for coronavirus, was at the Rose Garden event as well.

Trump is not participating in a call with New York governor Andrew Cuomo that he was scheduled to join moments ago, according to a New York Times reporter.

Vice-president Mike Pence joined the call with the Democratic governor instead.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said earlier today that the president is in “good spirits and is very energetic,” continuing his work while he recovers.

According to Bloomberg News, White House aides said Trump seemed “exhausted” on Wednesday, but they attributed it to his rigorous campaign schedule.

It’s important to note that Joe Biden and others who have recently been in contact with the president will likely require further testing.

It can take several days after initial exposure for symptoms, and a positive coronavirus test result, to emerge.

From the co-founder of the Covid Tracking Project:

After his campaign confirmed he had tested negative for coronavirus, Joe Biden thanked everyone who had expressed concern for his health.

“I’m happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for COVID,” Biden said in a tweet. “Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern. I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”

Biden tests negative for coronavirus, campaign confirms

Joe Biden’s personal physician confirmed the Democratic nominee and his wife, Jill Biden, have tested negative for coronavirus.

“Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected,” Dr Kevin O’Connor said in a statement released by the Biden campaign.

O’Connor added, “I am reporting this out in my capacity as both Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden’s primary care physician.”

Biden saw Trump on Tuesday, when the two participated in the first presidential debate, but there was minimal contact between the two nominees because they were instructed not to shake hands and to stay several feet apart from each other.

Biden tests negative for coronavirus - report

Democratic nominee Joe Biden has tested negative for coronavirus, according to an NBC News reporter.

Biden spent 90 minutes on a debate stage with Trump on Tuesday, but the two nominees were instructed not to shake hands and to remain several feet apart from each other.

Senator Mike Lee was at the White House on Saturday for the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett’s supreme court nomination.

Lee hugged some of the guests at the Rose Garden event while holding his mask in his hand, disregarding coronavirus guidelines to wear a mask while in close proximity to others.

Senator Mike Lee met with supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday, two days before Lee tested positive for coronavirus.

That meeting could have put Barrett at risk of contracting coronavirus, raising the possibility that the judge will have to isolate in the days ahead.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and judiciary committee chairman Lindsey Graham have said Barrett’s confirmation hearings will start as planned on October 12.

Republican senator Mike Lee tests positive for coronavirus

Republican senator Mike Lee of Utah announced that he has also tested positive for coronavirus.

Lee said he sought a test yesterday after he experienced symptoms that he initially mistook for allergies.

“Unlike the test I took just a few days ago while visiting the White House, yesterday’s test came back positive,” Lee said in a statement posted to Twitter.

Lee said he would isolate for the next 10 days and would return to the Senate judiciary committee in time for supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings, which are scheduled to start on October 12.

Over the past five days the president has behaved with the same reckless disregard for public health rules that has characterised his response since January to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Viewed with hindsight, his meetings during the last week look ill-judged, to say the least. On Monday, Trump appeared in the White House’s Rose Garden.

Donald Trump speaks about coronavirus testing strategy, in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday.
Donald Trump speaks about coronavirus testing strategy, in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

His audience was made up of members of Congress and state officials. Few wore masks. Neither did Trump or the vice-president Mike Pence, who followed the president to the podium. Other administration officials who were present included the health secretary, Alex M Azar, and the education secretary, Betsy DeVos. Earlier, Trump inspected a truck on the south lawn and met manufacturers from Ohio.

On Tuesday, Trump boarded Air Force One en route to the debate in Ohio. With him was a large entourage. It included members of the Trump family: his wife Melania, adult children and senior staff. Also there was his trusted aide, 31-year-old Hope Hicks. Since joining his campaign in early 2015, Hicks was often at Trump’s side. She returned to his administration in spring, following an earlier spell as press secretary.

Trump’s family watched the debate from the audience. None wore masks. This show of support for the president was – it seemed - transgressive. And in clear breach of host rules, which called for blue surgical masks to be worn. A Cleveland clinic doctor in a white lab coat had even tried to approach Trump family guests, offering a mask. She was unsuccessful. Someone shook their head at her as she came close, according to a press pool report.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement calling on the White House to launch an extensive contact tracing effort after the president tested positive for coronavirus.

“I wish President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and any White House staff members who are infected a speedy recovery. I join the nation in praying for the First Family’s health and safety,” Schumer said.

“The infection of the President, First Lady and a close aide require that the White House immediately conduct a contact tracing regime that follows CDC guidelines, as well as thorough testing and isolation for those who were exposed to infection risk.”

Schumer said anyone who came in contact with someone who has tested positive, including supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, should immediately isolate.

The Senate leader also said the incident underscored the need for the chamber to launch its own testing and contact tracing program.

“Finally, what happened to President Trump is a reminder of why the whole country, including Senators and staff, must follow the science and follow the protocols laid out by the CDC and public health officials,” Schumer said.

“When you ignore the science, you don’t wear a mask, and you don’t follow social distancing guidelines, it puts you and everyone around you at risk. Following science is a must.”

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he spoke to Trump by phone this morning, after the president tested positive for coronavirus.

“He’s in good spirits and we talked business — especially how impressed Senators are with the qualifications of Judge Barrett,” McConnell said, referring to supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

“Full steam ahead with the fair, thorough, timely process that the nominee, the Court, & the country deserve.”

Democrats have denounced Republicans’ efforts to get Barrett confirmed before election day, even though no supreme court nominee has ever been confirmed between July and November of an election year.

That criticism will likely only intensify now that Republicans are moving forward with their plans despite a health crisis in the White House.

Biden awaiting coronavirus test result - report

Democratic nominee Joe Biden has reportedly received a coronavirus test and is awaiting his result.

The AP reports:

Biden has been tested for the coronavirus in the wake of President Donald Trump’s infection and is awaiting results.

That’s according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions. ...

It’s unclear if Biden will appear at his scheduled campaign events later in the day. The Democrat’s campaign is expected to announce the results of Biden’s test and his travel plans later Friday.

Biden and Trump shared a debate stage for 90 minutes on Tuesday, but the two nominees were instructed not to shake hands and to stay several feet away from each other.

Updated

According to a department of justice spokesperson, attorney general William Barr has tested negative for coronavirus.

Spokesperson Kerri Kupec previously said Barr had not seen Trump since Saturday, when the president announced the supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.

First lady confirms she also has 'mild symptoms'

First lady Melania Trump confirmed she, like her husband, is experiencing mild symptoms of coronavirus.

“Thank you for the love you are sending our way,” the first lady said in a tweet. “I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good. I am looking forward to a speedy recovery.”

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows confirmed moments ago that the president is also showing mild symptoms.

A White House spokesperson previously told CNN that the president and first lady’s son, Barron, had tested negative for the virus.

Despite Mark Meadows’ confirmation that the White House learned of Hope Hicks’ positive test result yesterday afternoon, there is still some confusion around the exact timeline of notification.

A New York Times reporter noted White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was abruptly pulled from the president’s trip to New Jersey, which was before Marine One took off for Joint Base Andrews.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said senior officials learned of Hope Hicks’ positive test result yesterday afternoon.

However, several other senior White House staffers did not learn of the news until last night, according to CNN. Some even learned from media reports.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows would not provide details on what treatment the president is receiving after testing positive for coronavirus.

“He’s in the residence now, and in true fashion, he’s probably critiquing the way that I’m answering these questions,” Meadows told reporters at the White House.

Meadows said he and another senior White House adviser, Dan Scavino, had tested negative for the virus.

“At the same time, I fully expect that as this virus continues to go on, other people in the White House will certainly have a positive test result,” Meadows said.

Meadows also confirmed the White House learned of Hope Hicks’ positive test result yesterday, as Marine One was taking off to start the president’s trip to New Jersey.

Despite that, Trump continued on to New Jersey and held a fundraising event with donors.

Trump has mild coronavirus symptoms, Meadows confirms

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows confirmed that Trump is currently experiencing mild symptoms from coronavirus.

“The president does have mild symptoms,” Meadows told reporters at the White House. “The doctors continue to monitor both his health and the health of the first lady.”

Meadows said the president remains “very energetic” and is paying close attention to the economy and coronavirus relief negotiations despite his illness.

Meadows spoke to reporters without wearing a mask.

This video from 2016 is making the rounds again, after Trump announced he and the first lady has tested positive for coronavirus.

In the video, Trump reacts to the news that Hillary Clinton had contracted pneumonia during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump said, “Here’s a woman, she’s supposed to fight all of these different things, and she can’t make it 15 feet to her car. Give me a break.”

Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, sent an internal note to staff encouraging them to “immediately begin self-quarantining” if they have had exposure to someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, according to reports.

Stepien also encouraged employees to wear masks, frequently wash their hands and practice social distancing.

Trump has previously encouraged Americans to wear masks, but the president himself has frequently been seen in public not wearing a mask.

At the president’s recent campaign rallies, most of which have been outdoors, many attendees have been photographed not wearing masks and not practicing social distancing.

House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff opened a hearing this morning by wishing the president and the first lady a swift recovery.

“Let me just express my best wishes to the president and the first lady for a speedy recovery from Covid-19,” Schiff said.

“I know we were all quite shocked and distressed this morning to learn of their illness, and we hope for a very speedy recovery. They’ll be very much in our thoughts.”

Schiff was the lead impeachment manager during Trump’s Senate trial earlier this year, making him a frequent target of the president’s ire. Trump has repeatedly referred to the Democratic congressman as “Shifty Schiff.”

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said the president’s positive coronavirus test result would not disrupt Republicans’ plans to get supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett confirmed quickly.

“We can move forward. Our biggest enemy obviously is ... the coronavirus, keeping everybody healthy and well and in place to do our job,” McConnell told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt this morning. “We don’t anticipate any kind of unanticipated event that could throw us off schedule.”

Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, similarly said Barrett’s confirmation hearings were still “on track” to begin on October 12.

Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has tested negative for coronavirus, a White House official told the National Journal.

That news should reassure the dozens of Republican senators who met with Barrett this week.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris has reportedly tested negative for coronavirus.

Harris also echoed Joe Biden’s warm wishes to the president and the first lady for a speedy recovery.

“Doug and I join Joe Biden and Dr. Biden in wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery,” Harris said in a tweet. “We’re keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts.”

RNC chairwoman tests positive for coronavirus - report

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican national committee, has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.

The New York Times reports:

[McDaniel] has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to multiple people briefed on the situation. ...

She was last with Mr. Trump on Friday, and has been at her home in Michigan since then, the people briefed on the matter said.

She received her diagnosis on Wednesday, they said. After a crowded donor event in March at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club in Florida, Ms. McDaniel fell ill, but she tested negative at the time.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner test negative

The White House said Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and senior adviser, and her husband, Jared Kushner, had received another coronavirus test this morning.

Both of the White House advisers tested negative.

The president’s youngest son, Barron Trump, has also tested negative for the virus and is taking precautions to avoid catching it, per CNN.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was grateful the vice president had tested negative for coronavirus.

“Thank God the vice president has tested negatively and the second lady as well,” Pelosi told MSNBC. “That continuity of government is always in place.”

The Democratic speaker said she had also taken a coronavirus test this morning and was waiting on the results.

Pelosi met with treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday, but Mnuchin said this morning that he had tested negative.

Pelosi says Trump's behavior was a 'brazen invitation' for coronavirus

House speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the news of Trump testing positive for coronavirus in an MSNBC interview this morning.

“We all receive that news with great sadness,” Pelosi told MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle.

The Democratic speaker said she always prays for the safety of the president and his family and those prayers had “intensified” since she heard the news.

Pelosi pivoted to making a pitch for the Democrats’ coronavirus relief package, noting the president and the first lady would receive “the best of care and that’s what we want for everyone in this country.”

Pelosi also suggested this may be “a learning experience” for the president and his supporters about the importance of wearing masks and social distancing.

The speaker said Trump’s behavior in recent weeks, such as holding rallies with hundreds of attendees and avoiding wearing a mask in most settings, were a “brazen invitation” for coronavirus.

Pelosi expressed hope that this moment will be an opportunity to take a “saner approach” to limiting the spread of the virus.

This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.

World leaders are sending their warm wishes to the president and the first lady, after they announced they had tested positive for coronavirus.

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte said in a tweet this morning, “My best wishes to @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania for a speedy recovery. Hope both of you will get better soon!”

There’s a little groundswell of Republican figures already criticising Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on social media for being slow off the mark this morning in sending well wishes to the president and the first lady.

Steve Guest, the Republican rapid response director, sent this message about twenty minutes before Joe Biden issued his statement this morning.

And on that note, I’m off. I’m handing over to Joan Greve now, so take care, stay safe, and I’ll see you next week…

Health and human services secretary Alex Azar is the latest official to come out and say that he has tested negative for Covid-19 after protectively being screened following news of Donald Trump’s positive test.

“Out of an abundance of caution I was tested for Covid-19 this morning and the result was negative. I will be testifying before Congress as scheduled,” Azar wrote on Twitter.

Donald Trump showing mild 'cold-like symptoms' – reports

Trump is showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, but mild ones, according to two people familiar with his condition, reports the New York Times. Maggie Haberman writes:

The president has had what one person described as cold-like symptoms. At a fund-raiser he attended at his golf club at Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday, where one attendee said the president came in contact with about 100 people, he seemed lethargic.

A person briefed on the matter said that Mr. Trump fell asleep at one point on Air Force One on the way back from a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday night.

A White House official said that as of Thursday night, the president’s treatment plan was still being discussed. So was a possible national address or a videotaped statement from the president to demonstrate that he was functioning and that the government is uninterrupted.

Updated

Joe Biden has just sent his and his wife Jill’s best wishes to the president.

Away from the coronavirus for a second – well, not really, because its the coronavirus that has destabilised the economy – my colleagues Dominic Rushe and Michael Sainato have this look at the latest US jobless figures, which are one of the last chances to assess the economy before the election:

The US unemployment rate fell to 7.9% in September, the labor department announced on Friday, in the last snapshot of the jobs market ahead of the presidential election.

Unemployment has fallen sharply since hitting a historic record of 14.7% in April after the coronavirus pandemic shut down the US. But the rate is still far higher than the 4.8% when Trump took office in January 2017 and the recent pace of recovery is slowing. The current level marks the worst job loss that any president has faced going into an election based on records going back to the second world war.

Over the month of September, the US added just 661,000 jobs, down from the 1.4m jobs added in August, a month that was boosted by the temporary hiring of 238,000 people to conduct the 2020 Census. About half of the jobs lost in the early months after the coronavirus hit the US have now been recovered.

Read it in full here: US unemployment rate falls to 7.9% in last look at jobs market before elections

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has added his voice and prayers to those wishing Donald and Melania Trump well.

Reuters have a quick snap that US secretary of the treasury Steven Mnuchin has tested negative for coronavirus this morning.

He joins vice president Mike Pence and Pence’s wife Karen in announcing a negative Covid test result in the wake of the news that the president and his wife have both tested positive.

A refreshingly honest headline from Matt Berman over at Buzzfeed this morning: I am the politics editor and I have absolutely no idea what happens next. Berman has at least helpfully identified three of the key questions however:

What happens to the presidential campaign? This deeply weird presidential campaign as we know it could theoretically be over. If Trump commits to quarantining for the CDC recommended minimum, he would be sheltered from the public until at least mid October. We don’t know if there are going to be large-scale Trump rallies. We don’t yet know if there will be future presidential debates.

Who else in politics could have been exposed? We don’t yet have a full idea of this, or know how long Trump himself has had the virus for or could have been contagious for. But this has been one of the most high-contact weeks of the presidential campaign. Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett last saw Trump on Saturday, the White House said. The debate was on Tuesday, where Trump yelled at Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace — inside — for 90 minutes. The debate hall was filled with Trump and Biden family members, and the Trump side of the hall was (at least largely) not masked.

What happens to…. the election? More than 2 million people have already voted. It’s really hard to imagine something dramatic changing at this point, though things have been dramatically changing at a regular pace. If Trump or Biden is not able to serve as president and have to withdraw from the election, their respective parties would technically decide on their replacements. This has never happened before, and if it had to happen now, it would come so close to the election with so many people already voting that it’s right now unfathomable to say how it would work.

As he helpfully puts it: “The mind boggles”

Read it here: Buzzfeed News – I am the politics editor and I have absolutely no idea what happens next

A survey this week showed that fewer than one-third of Americans place a great deal or a fair amount of trust in federal government, the White House, or Donald Trump to give them accurate information about the coronavirus. They might have a point.

Cornell University researchers have analyzed 38m English-language articles about the pandemic, and found that Donald Trump was the largest driver of Covid misinformation in the media in the first half of the year.

The study found that of articles published from 1 January to 26 May, more than 1.1m — slightly less than about 3% — contained some form of misinformation. They categorised this and found some common repeated conspiracy theory tropes, such as the source of the coronavirus being people who ate bat soup, or that the pandemic had been engineered to coincide with Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

What they found above all, though, was that when it came to the promise of “miracle cures”, it was Trump’s words that echoed loudest.

His promotion of hydroxychloroquine, and suggestions that UV light or bleach could help with dealing with Covid, generated masses of articles, providing a vector for the misinformation to spread. Worryingly, the researchers found that “the majority of Covid misinformation is conveyed by the media without question or correction”.

Updated

As I mentioned earlier, there’s going to be a lot of looking back at the things Donald Trump has done and said this week when he could have been affected by the coronavirus.

The CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale has gathered together a few things that the president has said over the last few days in attacking his election opponent Joe Biden for practising Covid-safety measures at his campaign events.

And then there’s this. Two days before announcing he had contracted Covid-19, Donald Trump was tossing campaign baseball caps into his campaign rally crowd with his bare hands while in Duluth, Minnesota.

The venue was crowded with hundreds of supporters on Wednesday and Trump, who did not wear a face mask, entered the stage smiling and waving to the crowd before addressing the rally. The president frequently minimised the seriousness of the pandemic in its early stages and has repeatedly predicted it would go away.

Updated

Vice-president Mike Pence tests negative for coronavirus

The vice-president’s press secretary, Devin O’Malley, has just announced that Mike Pence tested negative for the coronavirus this morning.

Updated

What we know so far…

If you are just joining us, here’s a summary from my colleague Helen Sullivan of what we know so far:

  • Donald Trump and Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus. The news came after one of the president’s most senior advisers, Hope Hicks, tested positive on Thursday. Trump broke the news of the couple’s infection on Twitter.
  • Hicks had flown with the president on Air Force One earlier on Wednesday and accompanied him to the first presidential debate against the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, on Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Trump confirmed on Fox News on Thursday evening that he and the first lady were awaiting the results of coronavirus tests following Hicks’s positive test.
  • Trump’s doctor confirmed that the president and first lady would “remain at home within the White House during their convalescence”. How long this convalescence lasts will depend on how ill the pair get. Even if Trump tests negative within the next 14 days, he will almost certainly be unable to attend rallies in three key states – Wisconsin, Florida and Arizona – as well as the next presidential debate, which is scheduled for 15 October.
  • If Trump becomes too ill to lead the country, the vice-president, Mike Pence, will be placed in charge. If Pence is also incapacitated, the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, would be the most likely person to take over.
  • Pence attended a White House coronavirus taskforce briefing with Trump on Monday. Pence did not attend the presidential debate.
  • There are fears Trump may have exposed Biden to the virus during Tuesday night’s debate. Biden is expected to get tested for coronavirus this morning.

Updated

CNN are reporting that “a source familiar with his plans” has told them that the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, is planning to get a coronavirus test this morning in light of the news of Donald Trump’s positive diagnosis.

Updated

Biden may have been exposed to Covid by Trump at Tuesday's debate

A scramble is under way in Washington to determine how far coronavirus infection has spread in the top ranks of the US leadership after Donald Trump tested positive, in a week that included a presidential debate, political rallies and White House meetings with Congress.

The White House said its medical unit had begun contact-tracing on Thursday. Among those who may have been exposed is the Democratic challenger for the presidency, Joe Biden, who stood a few feet away from Trump for the 90 minutes of Tuesday night’s televised debate. Epidemiologists said that if Trump tested positive on Thursday morning he could have been infectious at that time.

The two candidates did not shake hands under Covid rules, and their lecterns were about 3 metres (10ft) apart, but for the majority of the debate the president was speaking, sometimes at high volume, in Biden’s direction in an indoor venue in Cleveland.

Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at George Mason University, said it was “entirely possible” Biden had been exposed, as Trump would have been infectious for 48 hours before testing positive.

Also on the list for possible exposure is the vice-president, Mike Pence, the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, Trump’s pick for the supreme court, Amy Coney Barrett, and the Senate Republicans they visited this week to prepare for Barrett’s confirmation hearings.

The list also include Trump’s children and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, along with other senior White House staffers who accompanied Trump from Washington to the Cleveland debate and back. Few if any of them are reported to have worn masks on Air Force One.

Read more here: Fears Joe Biden may have been exposed after Trump tests positive for Covid

Updated

Jake Sherman from Politico has these thoughts on some of the ramifications of Donald Trump contracting coronavirus.

He notes that there is a deficit of public trust in the White House.

This week the regular Axios/Ipsos poll reported that:

Currently, levels of trust in the federal government, the White House, and Donald Trump to provide Americans with accurate coronavirus-related information are at an all-time low. Fewer than one-third of Americans place a great deal or a fair amount of trust in these institutions/actors.

Sherman also points out that we are in uncharted territory as to what now happens with the election campaign.

Aside from the Trump-Biden debates, there may now be a question over next week’s scheduled Pence-Harris debate. If the vice-president has been exposed to the virus via Donald Trump, will that be able to go ahead?

Finally, Sherman suggests that it is an incredible blow to Trump’s campaign messaging.

Updated

There’s going to be huge scrutiny of the actions of Trump and his associates over the last few days when they may have been carrying the coronavirus.

One video clip that is already repeatedly doing the rounds on social media is from Tuesday night’s debate. It shows the friends and family of both presidential candidates in the audience, and a lot of people are noting that while Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, was complying with the request for audience members to wear face masks, the Trump entourage were not.

Updated

Various world leaders have offered their best wishes to the Trumps.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “Like millions of Israelis, [my wife] Sara and I are thinking of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery.”

The Polish president, Andrzej Duda, said: “Our good wishes for speedy recovery to our Friends … Poland and USA will get through the hardships and succeed in fighting Covid-19.” The European nation has just recorded its highest ever single day of new coronavirus cases.

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said in a tweet: “I wish a speedy recovery to US President Donald Trump and Melania Trump, who tested positive for Covid-19. I sincerely hope that they will overcome the quarantine period without problems and regain their health as soon as possible.”

In a telegram, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, told his US counterpart: “I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus.”

Trump may not enjoy the sentiments of the French government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, quite so much: “This demonstrates that the virus spares no one, including those who have shown scepticism. I wish him a swift recovery.”

Updated

Pete Buttigieg, who earlier in the year would have hoped by now to be just a few weeks away from facing Donald Trump in an election, has added his best wishes to the growing number of prominent US politicians to tweet about the president’s Covid diagnosis.

It makes a bit of a contrast sitting next to his tweet about the president a few hours earlier.

Updated

Quite the opening paragraph from Matt Flegenheimer, of the New York Times, here:

Sure, 2020. Why not?

President Trump’s pre-election turn as the world’s most famous coronavirus case is at once stunning, startling and somehow spiritually consistent with the bleaker-than-fiction course of this endless, relentless year.

A campaign season that began with the relative quaintness of an impeachment inquiry has advanced to a level of crisis that threatens the health of America’s citizens, institutions and democratic processes. And that was before the health of its president became a matter of urgent concern early Friday morning.

He reminds us that when the president re-started his campaign rallies, those who signed up to go to them had to agree to a waiver that they “voluntarily assume all risks” of attending. Flegenheimer won’t be the only one to point out the bravado with which Trump was talking about the virus just this week on the nation’s television screens.

The man who repeatedly assured Americans that he had a plan — and whose administration repeatedly failed to demonstrate as much — now sits in the White House as a septuagenarian patient of high actuarial alarm.

As recently as Thursday night, he had said that “the end of the pandemic is in sight”. At the debate on Tuesday, he mocked Joe Biden for wearing “the biggest mask I’ve ever seen” and said his Democratic opponent had foregone large gatherings only because “nobody will show up” to see him.

“We’ve had no negative effect,” the president said of his own rallies.

Read it here: New York Times – A president’s positive test and the year that won’t let up

Updated

The news that Donald Trump has tested positive for coronavirus appears to have had an immediate effect on the world’s stock markets.

In the US, the future contracts for both the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials dropped nearly 2%, and were trading around 1.2% lower several hours later. Oil prices tumbled about 3%.

Markets hate uncertainty – and the positive test for the leader of the world’s largest economy heaps plenty of that on to a growing pile of unknowns that investors are grappling with, including how it might affect the November election and potential repercussions on trade, tariffs and many other issues beyond.

“To say this potentially could be a big deal is an understatement,” Rabobank said in a commentary. “Anyway, everything now takes a back seat to the latest incredible twist in this US election campaign.”

My colleague Kalyeena Makortoff has the controls on our business live blog today, and you can follow the market reaction there …

Updated

I imagine every news organisation in the world is scrambling journalists to go back through exactly what Trump did this week, including who he met and where. Elliot Hannan, at Slateargues that the White House deliberately put people at risk:

It wasn’t just Trump that carried on, potentially harming those around him, it was the rest of his staff too. And they knew about Hicks; they knew what was coming. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who was also on the plane to Minnesota with Hicks, held a briefing with reporters without wearing a mask as if nothing was wrong. The utter carelessness of it all is staggering. And it obviously starts at the top with a president that derides mask-wearing as a sign of weakness.

Read it here: Slate – The White House knew Trump had likely been exposed to the virus. He traveled and held events anyway

Updated

So far, judging by the statement from the president’s physician and the tweet from Trump himself, we can surmise that the president doesn’t feel particularly unwell. However, at his age and in his condition, he is at higher risk of complications. Melissa Davey writes for us:

Doctors have warned that the US president, Donald Trump, has numerous factors placing him at risk of complications from Covid-19, including his age and being overweight.

The 74-year-old on Friday announced on Twitter that he and his wife, Melania Trump, had both tested positive for the virus. A study published in March in the medical journal, The Lancet, found that while the overall death rate for people with Covid-19 was 1.4%, this rose to 8.6% for people in their 70s. The study was based on data from China.

Dr Barry Dixon, an intensive care physician at St Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne, said Trump’s risk would increase if he developed pneumonia, which is associated with a high Covid-19 mortality rate, especially in patients over 65 and those who have cardiovascular disease or conditions affecting blood vessels of the brain.

“He’s at a much higher risk of dying if he does develop that bad pneumonia,” Dixon said. “There are other risk factors and co-morbidities such as whether you are a heavy smoker, have diabetes, or have heart disease. The key risk factors for Trump that we know about are his age and the fact he’s overweight, and they’d be high-risk factors.”

Read more here: Donald Trump’s age and weight may cause Covid complications, doctors say

Updated

As you can well imagine, for a figure who has divided the public in the way Trump has, there has been a mixed reaction to the news he has tested positive for coronavirus. Maanvi Singh rounds that up for us here:

Politicians and other public figures in the US and around the world have reacted to the news that Donald Trump and the first lady, Melanie Trump, have contracted Covid-19 by offering condolences and emphasising the uncertainty that lies ahead, while also pointing out that the president had repeatedly downplayed the pandemic and undermined public health guidelines on slowing its spread.

Read it here: Prayers and criticism as public figures react to Trump Covid news

Updated

More than one person on social media has picked up on the fact that when Donald Trump tweeted that he had tested positive for coronavirus, he used a proper name for it, rather than any of the more controversial ways he has been labelling it over the last few months.

Here’s a video report from Maanvi Singh earlier in the year, where she looked at all the ways Donald Trump had been contradicting and defying science during the coronavirus outbreak.

Updated

Here’s David Smith for us in Washington, describing Donald Trump catching the coronavirus as “a surprise that many saw coming”.

It is likely to go down as the biggest “October surprise” in the history of US presidential elections. Yet anyone who was paying attention could have seen it coming.

Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after claiming “it will disappear”, telling the journalist Bob Woodward he was downplaying it deliberately, failing to develop a national testing strategy, refusing to wear a face mask for months, floating the idea of injecting patients with bleach, insisting to one of his many crowded campaign rallies that “it affects virtually nobody” and, at Tuesday’s debate, mocking rival Joe Biden: “He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”

It suggested a sense of invincibility even as more than 200,000 Americans died. But now chickens have come home to roost, just as they did for the similarly cavalier British prime minister, Boris Johnson, and Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro. Covid-19, described as the “invisible enemy” by Trump, has penetrated the Oval Office.

Thirty-two days before an election often described as the most important in living memory, this changes everything.

Read more here: Trump’s positive Covid test was a surprise that many saw coming

Tulsi Gabbard, who was a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is among many people who have wished the president and his wife well this morning. Gabbard also sent her best wishes to the Trump children.

Trump has also received messages of support from numerous world leaders, including the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, who contracted coronavirus earlier this year and spent some time in intensive care in hospital in London.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, also offered his best wishes via a telegram which read: “I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus.”

Updated

One of the questions will be who in the US government Donald Trump had contact with in recent days. The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has just been speaking in Croatia, where he is on a mini-tour of Europe.

He told journalists on the flight from Rome to Dubrovnik he was reconsidering his forthcoming trip to Asia as a precaution after the president’s test results, but no decision had been made yet.

He said he had made no other changes that would reflect the fact he is fourth in line to succeed the president, if necessary. Vice-president, Mike Pence would take the reins if Trump was seriously incapacitated.

Pompeo said both he and his wife tested negative on the plane 20 minutes before landing in Dubrovnik, and said he had last seen Trump on 15 September.

Updated

Here’s a reminder of how Donald Trump and his wife Melania announced that they had tested positive for coronavirus.

Melania said they would be going into quarantine, “as too many Americans have done this year”. The US has the highest coronavirus caseload in the world, with the Johns Hopkins University tracker currently putting the total number of cases in the US at 7,278,384.

Here is the memorandum issued by the White House about the positive results. The president’s physician, Sean Conley, stated:

This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The president and first lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home in the White House during their convalescence.

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.

Updated

Good morning, and welcome to our US politics live blog for Friday, which is going to be dominated by the news that the president, Donald Trump, has tested positive for coronavirus.

We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that it isn’t the only story in town. Today is the deadline for Kentucky’s attorney general to release the grand jury tapes in the Breonna Taylor case, there’s an election round the corner, and Donald and Melania Trump are just two of more than 46,000 people in the US who received positive cornavirus tests yesterday.

Here’s a quick summary of where we are and what we know about Trump’s positive Covid test:

  • Donald and Melanie Trump have tested positive for coronavirus. The news came after one of the president’s most senior advisers, Hope Hicks, tested positive on Thursday. Trump broke the news on Twitter.
  • Hicks had flown with the president on Air Force One earlier on Wednesday and accompanied him to the first presidential debate against the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, on Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Trump confirmed on Fox News on Thursday evening that he and the first lady were awaiting the results of tests following Hicks’s positive result.
  • Trump’s doctor confirmed the couple would “remain at home within the White House during their convalescence”. How long this lasts will depend on how ill the pair get. Even if Trump tests negative within the next 14 days, he will almost certainly be unable to attend rallies in three key states – Wisconsin, Florida and Arizona – as well as the next presidential debate, which is scheduled for 15 October.
  • If Trump becomes too ill to lead the country, the vice-president, Mike Pence, will take charge. If Pence is also incapacitated, the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, would be the most likely person to take over.
  • Pence attended a White House coronavirus taskforce briefing with Trump on Monday. Pence did not attend the presidential debate.

I’m Martin Belam, and you can get in touch with me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.

Updated

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