BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has coronavirus

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters at the Capitol, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has frequently appeared at public events without wearing a mask, has been diagnosed with COVID-19, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday.

It was not immediately clear when or how he was infected.

One administration official said several other staffers had tested positive as well.

Another top campaign aide, Nick Trainer, has also tested positive for the virus, according to the source.

Meadows, Trump’s top adviser and a former North Carolina lawmaker, regularly accompanied U.S. President Donald Trump on the final frenzied days of the campaign rallies leading up to the presidential election on Tuesday.

Meadows, who was at a White House election night party attended by dozens of Trump supporters, is the latest official within Trump’s close circle to have contracted COVID-19, which has killed more than 236,000 Americans.

Trump has regularly downplayed the severity of the virus, which has surged in recent weeks and is poised to continue do so into the winter. He has contradicted the public statements of top health experts, even after an outbreak seized the White House in October.

The president was briefly hospitalized at the time after he was infected with the virus. His wife and son Barron also tested positive for the coronavirus in October.

His national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, was also sickened with the virus. Another friend of Trump’s, former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, died of the coronavirus in July after attending one of Trump’s rallies. 

This is a developing story.

Coronavirus

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

65°F Sunny Feels like 65°
Wind
8 mph SW
Humidity
54%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
52°F Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
4 mph SSW
Precip
15%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waxing Gibbous