'Anjeonbulgamjeung' White House... Pence Vice President's Close Aide Also Confirmed Positive

Trump President's Close Associate Tests Positive Again at White House
Trump, Who Said Virus Was Not Scary, Gets Angry and Says "I Will Get Tested Daily"
Still Wearing Masks at White House, Social Distancing Insufficient
Only Reporters Wear Masks at White House Press Briefing

On the 8th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump sat apart from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to maintain social distancing.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] An employee in the office of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has been confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Although the White House is facing a full-scale COVID-19 outbreak, key White House officials are still not wearing masks, raising concerns.

According to CNN on the 8th (local time), the takeoff of the Vice President’s plane, which was about to depart for an external schedule, was delayed by about an hour. Reporters accompanying Vice President Pence were puzzled by the delay, but the reason soon became clear.

The delay was a measure to have those who had close contact with the infected Vice President’s office employee disembark from the plane. A senior official explained this to reporters and asked for their understanding. The confirmed case was not scheduled to board the plane that day.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also disclosed the official’s positive test during a briefing that day.

The White House press corps is wearing masks during the press secretary briefing.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

With an employee of Vice President Pence, who is the head of the White House COVID-19 Task Force (TF), also infected with COVID-19, concerns are growing that the White House is facing a full-scale COVID-19 assault.

After a Navy veteran White House staff member who served President Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on the 6th, the White House was already on alert when another confirmed case emerged. According to U.S. media, President Trump, who usually claimed not to fear the virus, reportedly became furious upon learning of the staff member’s positive test. President Trump explained, "I have had almost no direct contact with that employee," and said he would undergo daily COVID-19 testing.

A White House reporter wearing a mask is watching Kayleigh McEnany, the spokesperson, during the briefing. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Despite this situation, White House officials are not wearing masks, which has sparked controversy. A White House correspondent posted on Twitter that while all reporters attending Press Secretary McEnany’s briefing wore masks, the officials including McEnany did not, highlighting the contrast.

At a meeting between President Trump and Republican leaders held that day, attendees sat apart, but U.S. media evaluated that the distancing was insufficient to meet the COVID-19 guideline of maintaining six feet of distance. No attendees wore masks at this meeting either.

President Trump is attending the 75th anniversary event of the victory in World War II on the 8th. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Earlier, President Trump, who wore only clear goggles without a mask during a visit to a mask factory in Arizona, also did not wear a mask when meeting veterans at a World War II victory commemoration event held that day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.