Trump valet, aide, test positive for coronavirus: report

A COVID-19 outbreak in the White House spreads to more people

Oct 6, 2020

A member of the U.S. military assigned to support President Donald Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus. As of today, more than 11 members of Trump’s White House and household staff have tested positive, including his valet, who is active duty military, per CNN.

Trump was recently diagnosed with the virus spending only three days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center despite doctors saying he may not be 100% recovered. When the President was back at The White House he could be seen taking off his mask off and wavering to supporters with White House staff close by.

Despite his positive test, Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News last week he doesn’t think he is the one passing the virus to staff, Insider reported.

“It’s very hard when you’re with soldiers when you’re with airmen when you’re with the Marines, and the police officers,” the president said to Hannity before he knew he’d tested positive. “When they come over to you, it’s very hard to say, ‘Stay back. Stay back.’ You know, it’s a tough kind of situation. It’s a terrible thing.”

He goes on to say, ”It is very, very hard when you are with people from the military or from law enforcement and they come over to you, they want to hug you, and they want to kiss you because we really have done a good job for them.”

But a White House source told Axios, “It’s insane that he would return to the White House and jeopardize his staff’s health when we are still learning of new cases among senior staff. This place is a cesspool.”

Aside from his personal aides, Coast Guard aide Jayna McCarron was also infected with the virus, according to information provided to Bloomberg White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs.

NEWS: One of the president's military aides, Coast Guard aide Jayna McCarron, has coronavirus, sources tell me. And so does one of the president's valets, who is also active duty military, and traveled with the president last week.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) October 6, 2020