Trump and Melania Test Positive for COVID-19... "We Will Overcome COVID-19" (Comprehensive)

Major Setback Just Before Presidential Election
Criticism of Mask Wearing and More Expected to Intensify

[Image source=Trump President Twitter]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). With the November presidential election just around the corner, the infection of the Trump couple is expected to have significant political repercussions. President Trump has mainly focused on economic issues rather than COVID-19 and has been controversial for neglecting mask-wearing at major events along with his close aides.

According to foreign media including CNN, President Trump tweeted at 1 a.m. on the 2nd, "The First Lady and I have tested positive for COVID-19," adding, "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will overcome COVID together." Earlier, on the previous night, President Trump had tweeted, "Hope Hicks, a White House aide who has worked tirelessly without rest, has tested positive," and "The First Lady and I are awaiting results after being tested preemptively."

Hicks is known as one of President Trump's closest aides and recently accompanied him at TV debates as well as various campaign events. She is reported to have been in contact with senior White House aides including Stephen Miller, Senior Advisor, and Jason Miller, Communications Advisor, along with President Trump.

AP News reported that the White House did not respond to questions about whether other White House officials who spent time with Hicks would enter quarantine. Previously, Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller and White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien had also contracted COVID-19.

President Trump's COVID-19 infection is expected to be a major variable ahead of the November election. He had previously downplayed the risks of COVID-19, avoided wearing masks, and preferred lax quarantine measures prioritizing the economy over health, causing controversy. President Trump has refused to wear masks in public places and practice social distancing, continuing large-scale rallies to gather supporters. He also mocked his rival Joe Biden for wearing masks excessively. The U.S. Democratic Party holds President Trump responsible for the U.S. becoming the hardest-hit country by COVID-19 due to his failed quarantine policies.

According to the international statistics site Worldometer, as of this day, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. stands at 7,494,671, with a total of 212,660 deaths.

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