On Monday, Donald Trump dramatically left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to get an airlift back to the White House. In a carefully staged moment, Donald Trump slowly climbed the stairs of the White House and then paused for the world to see him totally not gasping for air as he removed his mask.
It was widely described and brutally mocked as his "Covita" moment. And while many mocked him for the obvious reality show photo op, just as many were aghast when he turned and walked into the White House without wearing a mask. To be clear, Donald Trump is considered highly infectious. He is literally shedding the virus wherever he goes.
In fact, evidence seems to be mounting that not only was the Amy Coney Barrett announcement in the Rose Garden a superspreader event, but Donald Trump himself might be the superspreader at the center of the outbreak. After all, his closest aides, campaign manager, his wife, his spokesperson, and his debate prep team have all tested positive. And now, CNN reports a top military aide to the president has also tested positive. The news was confirmed by Bloomberg reporter Jennifer Jacobs, who was the first to break the news that top Trump aide Hope Hicks was positive, something the White House reportedly wanted to keep secret. Jacobs noted the military aide who tested positive is one of five assigned to the president, one from each branch of the military. One of these aides is carrying the nuclear codes.
As if that weren’t bad enough, the nation’s top military leaders are now in quarantine because of COVID-19 exposure. Here is a growing list of military leaders now in quarantine because of the reckless behavior of Donald Trump and his staff:
- Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Gen. John E. Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- General James C. McConville, chief of staff of the Army
- Admiral Michael M. Gilday, chief of Naval Operations
- Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr, chief of staff of the Air Force
- Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command
- Gen. John W. Raymond, chief of Space Operations
- Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau
- General Gary L. Thomas, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.
Folks, this is a real national security issue. The White House is running on a skeleton staff and now the nation’s top military leaders are in quarantine for 14 days because of their potential COVID-19 exposure.
Public health is a national security issue—not just for the White House, but for all of us. It is many months too late for Donald Trump to take serious action to contain this virus. He can’t even contain it in the White House. let alone in America’s schools. And if you thought maybe, just maybe he might be taking this pandemic more seriously, that maybe he’d show more care for his staff and those who serve him, think again. Even now he is pushing to get into the Oval Office, which would only put his administrative staff at further risk.
What will it take to get the White House outbreak under control? A whole new administration, apparently.
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