President Trump’s national security adviser has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, underscoring the persisting threat of COVID-19 – even to the White House –…
President Trump’s national security adviser has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, underscoring the persisting threat of COVID-19 – even to the White House – as cases increase in the United States.
White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien is the highest ranking official to date to contract COVID-19, a virus that, until last week, Trump had sought to minimize. Details about O’Brien’s positive test were closely held at the White House before Bloomberg first reported on the situation Monday.
The development hung over Trump’s trip to Morrisville, N. C., on Monday where he highlighted progress on coronavirus vaccine research through the administration’s “Operation Warp Speed.”
Before departing for North Carolina Monday afternoon, Trump told reporters at the White House that he hadn’t seen O’Brien “lately” and that he didn’t know exactly when O’Brien tested positive. Trump also said he planned to phone O’Brien later that day.
Trump, beginning last week, was forced to take a more realistic and sober tone when discussing the coronavirus pandemic. After initially dismissing recent spikes in cases, he acknowledged the situation would “get worse before it gets better” and abruptly canceled GOP convention events in Jacksonville, Fla., after forcefully pushing for the event to be held in person.
O’Brien’s positive test was yet another piece of bad news with which the president must contend.
The White House confirmed the news in a brief statement to reporters, saying O’Brien has “mild symptoms and has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site.” The risk to either Trump or Vice President Mike Pence was nonexistent, the White House said. O’Brien reportedly tested positive after taking a few days off with family and is believed to have become infected after his daughter fell ill.
A handful of others working at the White House or in otherwise close proximity to the president have tested positive for the virus, though none as senior as O’Brien, who is tested regularly because of his interactions with Trump.
