President Donald Trump announced on Twitter on Oct. 1 that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. With just a month away from the presidential election, the news stunned the people of America as Trump had been an adamant downplayer of the virus. 

Just a few hours before President Trump notified the public, Hope Hicks, a close advisor to the President tested positive. She had accompanied the president and his family to the first presidential debate in Ohio on Sept. 29, where the family and senior staff violated the host rules by not wearing masks. 

The following day, Hicks was among the staff that traveled with President Trump to a private fundraiser in Minnesota and an outdoor rally in Duluth. Many attendees of the rally were seen not wearing masks. On the trip back, she isolated herself on Air Force One because she was feeling unwell, and disembarked from the back door once the plane landed. 

CBS reporter Weijia Jiang reported in a tweet, “She developed symptoms during the day and received a second test, which came back positive. The White House knew about this Wednesday evening but Trump still had a fundraiser Thursday.” 

Since the news of President Trump and the First Lady testing positive for coronavirus, numerous cases of coronavirus have emerged from the White House.

So far, the list includes:

• First Lady Melania Trump
• Senior Presidential Advisor Hope Hicks
• President Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien
• Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
• Political Counselor Kellyanne Conway and daughter Claudia Conway
• Senator Mike Lee of Utah
• Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina
• Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
• Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins
• White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany

Alongside these officials, three unnamed journalists and one White House staff were also tested positive for the virus. President Trump’s opponent in the race, former Vice President Joe Biden, tested negative. 

In the past week, President Trump’s campaign schedule was packed back to back. On Saturday, Sept 26, Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court. These ceremonies took place at the Rose Garden, where Senator Lee, Senator Tillis, Father Jenkins, and Conway were present. In the published pictures, staff of the Trump administration were seen without masks, and not abiding to the social distancing guidelines as they shook each other’s hands and hugged each other. The public speculates that this ceremony was where it all began. Later that day, Trump attended a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where many of the thousands of supporters were also not wearing masks.

On Monday, the President held an event at the White House South Lawn for Lordstown Motors, which was attended by two Congressional members and three representatives from the motor manufacturer. Then, at the Rose Garden, he announced the administration’s plan to distribute millions of coronavirus test kits to states.The Vice President, members of the Congress, and state officials were present.

The following Tuesday, Trump and his entourage, including Hicks, traveled to Cleveland for the first presidential debate. Despite the pre-arranged rules, Trump’s family in the audience and staff members were not wearing masks during the debate. Then on Wednesday, Trump was in Minnesota for a rally. Hicks was present with him too. 

The next day, Hicks tested positive for coronavirus, yet Trump still persisted to attend his rally in New Jersey. That evening, President Trump tweeted, “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!” Three hours later, the president followed up to state that he and the First Lady have been tested positive for COVID-19.

Since then, the White House has spoken up about the current conditions for the president and his wife. Campaign manager Bill Stepien said that campaign events will either be postponed or turned virtual while Vice President Mike Pence, who tested negative, will continue his schedule as planned. 

On Oct. 2, Trump checked into Walter Reed Medical Center, where he will stay for a few days, as advised by his physicians. He has been experiencing “fatigue,” a White House staff commented. 

However, according to statements from the Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Trump is still actively engaged in working. “His first question to me this morning was, ‘How’s the economy doing? How are the stimulus talks going on Capitol Hill?’” Meadows claimed.

It’s worthy to note that just a few days ago, the president mocked Biden for wearing a mask too often. 

In the debate, the president exclaimed, “I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask.” Furthermore, he commented that Biden “could be speaking 200 feet away” and “shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.” 

With 31 days until the 2020 Presidential Election, President Trump and his campaign are in deep waters. No one in the nation could have predicted that the president would catch the virus, especially during such a vulnerable yet valuable time in the race. The political and social implications of President Trump testing positive are unknown and too early to tell, but either way, with so little time left to sprint, this will definitely impact the election.

Photo courtesy of NBCNEWS.COM