President Donald Trump’s former adviser Kellyanne Conway said late Friday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus, days after attending a White House event. At least six people at that event have now been diagnosed with COVID-19.
The news comes the same day Trump went to a military hospital for a "few days" of observation after announcing he has COVID-19 and has increasing symptoms.
Conway tweeted Friday that she has a “light cough” and is “feeling fine.” “I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians,” she added.
Conway attended the Rose Garden announcement Saturday where President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Among the attendees, First Lady Melania Trump, Republican Sens. Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, the president of the University of Notre Dame, as well as Trump himself tested positive Friday for the coronavirus.
Although the event was held outdoors, most attendees -- about 200 -- did not wear masks and were seated next to each other in several rows.
Stricken by COVID-19, a feverish and fatigued President Donald Trump was flown to a military hospital Friday night where he is being given Remdesivir therapy after being injected with an experimental drug combination in treatment at the White House.
The White House said Trump's expected stay of “a few days” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was precautionary and that he would continue to work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties.
In a video taped before leaving for Walter Reed, Trump said, “I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out.”
“Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!” he wrote in his first tweet from the hospital Friday night.
The positive tests of Lee and Tillis come as Senate Republicans are pushing to quickly confirm Barrett in the few weeks they have before the Nov. 3 election. There is little cushion in the schedule set out by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who want to put Trump’s third hand-picked justice on the court immediately in case they lose any of their power in the election.
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien also tested positive Friday, according to the campaign.