Trump Tested Positive for Virus Days Before Debate, 2 Ex-Officials Say

Politics|Trump Tested Positive for Virus Days Before Debate, 2 Ex-Officials Say

President Donald J. Trump tested affirmative for coronavirus 3 days earlier his archetypal statement with Joseph R. Biden Jr. successful 2020, 2 erstwhile medication officials said Wednesday.

The White House did not denote the affirmative trial astatine the time, and the president received a antagonistic effect soon afterward and carried connected with a run rally and the debate, the officials said. The relationship was archetypal reported by The Guardian, which cited a forthcoming publication by Mr. Trump’s main of staff, Mark Meadows.

The 2 erstwhile officials, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to sermon the substance publicly, confirmed the timeline connected Mr. Trump’s trial results contained successful “The Chief’s Chief,” by Mr. Meadows, Mr. Trump’s 4th and final White House main of staff.

The revelation came astir a twelvemonth aft widespread speculation that Mr. Trump was sick erstwhile helium archetypal shared a signifier with Mr. Biden for their archetypal statesmanlike statement connected Sept. 29, months into the pandemic.

The White House declined repeatedly astatine the clip to springiness a precise chronology of erstwhile precisely Mr. Trump archetypal received a affirmative coronavirus trial result. The medication archetypal told the nationalist successful the aboriginal hours of Oct. 2 that Mr. Trump had tested positive. Mr. Trump was hospitalized aboriginal that aforesaid day.

Mr. Trump’s affirmative effect was revealed lone aft a apical adviser, Hope Hicks, was reported to beryllium sick with Covid-19. At the time, Mr. Trump intimated successful an interrogation with Fox News that Ms. Hicks mightiness person fixed him the virus.

But Mr. Meadows wrote successful his publication that 3 days earlier, connected Sept. 26, Mr. Trump received a affirmative trial soon earlier departing the White House for Air Force One to question to Pennsylvania for a rally. The White House doctor, Sean Conley, called to present the news. “Mr. President,” Mr. Meadows writes that helium told Mr. Trump, “I’ve got immoderate atrocious news. You’ve tested affirmative for Covid-19.”

Mr. Trump’s effect rhymed with “‘Oh spit, you’ve gotta beryllium trucking lidding me,’” Mr. Meadows wrote. The time of the affirmative effect was the time that Mr. Trump held a ample Rose Garden event announcing his information of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to The Guardian, Mr. Meadows wrote that the affirmative trial was taken with an older investigating kit, and that the caller 1 was the “Binax system, and that we were hoping the archetypal trial was a mendacious positive.” Mr. Trump took the 2nd effect arsenic “full support to property connected arsenic if thing had happened,” Mr. Meadows wrote, according to The Guardian. Mr. Meadows asserted successful the publication that helium “instructed everyone successful his contiguous ellipse to dainty him arsenic if helium was positive” during that trip.

The 2 erstwhile officials who confirmed the affirmative trial did not callback Mr. Meadows giving specified a directive. And a fewer hours aft the affirmative trial was received, Mr. Trump walked to the backmost of Air Force One and chatted with reporters, not wearing a mask. One of the reporters, who works for The New York Times, aboriginal tested affirmative for the virus.

The time aft the affirmative result, Mr. Trump attended an lawsuit for subject families.

Mr. Meadows wrote successful his publication that Mr. Trump appeared physically disconnected astir the clip of that test, though by the clip of the archetypal statement against Mr. Biden, helium seemed a small better.

“His face, for the astir portion astatine least, had regained its accustomed airy bronze hue, and the gravel successful his dependable was gone,” Mr. Meadows wrote, according to The Guardian. “But the acheronian circles nether his eyes had deepened. As we walked into the venue astir 5 o’clock successful the evening, I could archer that helium was moving much dilatory than usual. He walked similar helium was carrying a small other value connected his back.”

In a connection released by his office, Mr. Trump replied, “The communicative of maine having Covid anterior to, oregon during, the archetypal statement is Fake News. In fact, a trial revealed that I did not person Covid anterior to the debate.”

Mr. Trump did not code erstwhile helium had received a affirmative test. Mr. Trump was not independently tested close earlier the archetypal debate.