Photos of Trump days before his positive COVID-19 test show him maskless and in close contact with dozens of people
- President Donald Trump's week was filled with meetings, rallies, and a debate before his positive COVID-19 test early Friday.
- Pictures show Trump maskless and in close contact with family, staff, and supporters over the past several days.
President Donald Trump attended a series of White House meetings, campaign rallies, and a presidential debate in the days leading up to his positive COVID-19 test, possibly exposing dozens of people, if not more, to the virus.
Photos show Trump maskless and in close contact with members of his family, staff, and supporters over the past week. His early Friday morning announcement that he contracted the virus triggered a whirlwind of testing and contact tracing inside the White House and among others whom Trump has recently interacted with.
The president is currently quarantining at the White House with First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive. Both are experiencing mild symptoms so far.
The news comes after Trump downplayed the severity of the virus at the onset of the pandemic and continued to do so in the months afterward. He has been criticized for frequently ignoring and acting against the public health guidance coming from within his own administration, including flip-flopping on mask-wearing and hosting campaign events with thousands in attendance.
Saturday, Sept. 26
Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a Rose Garden ceremony. Barrett tested negative for the virus on Friday, according to the White House.
Guests at the event included Barrett's family, Vice President Mike Pence, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Attorney General William Barr, former Trump counsel Kellyanne Conway, and more. Pence, Meadows and Barr have reportedly tested negative on Friday. Notre Dame University President John Jenkins and Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who also attended, have tested positive.
The president later traveled to Pennsylvania for a campaign rally, speaking on stage to thousands of supporters. Many Republican congressmen from the state were also in the crowd, including Reps. Scott Perry, Dan Meuser, Lloyd Smucker, Fred Keller, John Joyce and Mike Kelly.
Sunday, Sept. 27
The president held a press briefing with former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Trump also attended a ceremony at the White House to honor Gold Star families, along with military advisers, Pence, his wife Karen and Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Monday, Sept. 28
Trump was pictured on the south lawn of the White House with Steve Burns Lordstown Motors CEO and top trade adviser Peter Navarro discussing an all-electric pickup truck.
Trump provided an update to the national coronavirus response during a briefing at the Rose Garden.
Tuesday, Sept. 29
The president and first lady boarded Air Force One en route to Cleveland, Ohio, for the first presidential debate. His son Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, a campaign adviser, were also seen boarding the plane.
Trump showed his mask during the debate against former Vice President Joe Biden and mocked his opponent for his frequent mask-wearing.
Biden and his wife, Jill, tested negative on Friday. Others at the debate, including White House senior advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, have also tested negative.
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Trump spoke to reporters on the south lawn of the White House.
Trump later traveled to Minnesota for a campaign rally. Hope Hicks travelled with him to the event on Air Force One. She reportedly started showing symptoms at the event and tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.
Thursday, Oct. 1
The president headed to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for a fundraiser. Hours later, at about 1 am ET, he announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for the virus.