Trump announces he and the first lady have tested positive for coronavirus
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy reports.
Top U.S. military officers tested negative for the coronavirus, with plans to continue testing in light of President Trump’s positive result.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper tested negative for COVID-19 as recently as Wednesday and plans to test again on Friday, according to a statement from the secretary’s office.
“Secretary Esper tested negative for COVID on Monday and Wednesday of this week. Today he will be tested again as planned for continuation of his travel,” said Johnathan Hoffman, assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. “He will not be returning to the US early.”
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Esper is touring across North Africa, Military Times reported. He arrived in Tunisia on Wednesday then planned to travel to Algeria on Thursday and Morocco on Friday.
The statement also confirmed that Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also tested negative on Friday morning.
Both officials received fresh tests following news that Trump had tested positive for COVID-91, raising questions of both political and national security implications.
In this July 10, 2020, file photo Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing on counternarcotics operations at U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Fla. Esper plans to fly nearly halfway around the world this week to tiny Palau, which no Pentagon chief has ever visited. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Esper and Milley were last with Trump on Sunday for an event at the White House for Gold Star families, The Hill reported.
“The Secretary, Mrs. Esper, Chairman Milley, and Mrs. Milley send their thoughts and prayers to the President and First Lady for a swift recovery,” the statement also read.
The Department of Defense said there is no change to alert levels. The “national command and control structure is in no way affected by this announcement.”
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The secretary expressed appreciation for the White House’s military medical team and is confident that they will ensure the president and first lady will receive the best medical care in his recovery.
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