Social media responses range from sincerity in wishing them a speedy recovery to anger to jokes to outright laughter.
In the midst of a tense election cycle where the ongoing global pandemic and the nation’s response to it remains one of its biggest talking points, President Donald Trump revealed that he and the First Lady have both tested positive for COVID-19.
“This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” confirmed White House Dr. Sean Conley in a memo received by ABC News.
“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain home at the White House during their convalescence.”
As he always does, the president kept his followers updated throughout the evening on Thursday after the announcement that one of his closest aides, Hope Hicks, had contracted the novel corona virus.
It was approximately four hours after the nation learned how close COVID-19 had come to the president that he confirmed both he and his wife had tested positive.
“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately,” he tweeted. “We will get through this TOGETHER!”
The First Lady also took to Twitter with a message of her own, assuring her followers that both she and her husband “are feeling good.
President Trump is among what is considered the high-risk category, due to his age. At 74 years old, he is considered at higher risk of serious complications that could lead to hospitalization or death.
“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,” Dr. Conley said in his statement, as noted by CNN.
“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any further developments,” he continued.
The news immediately began trending on Twitter, as everyone from celebrities to pundits to other politicians to average Americans weighed in on the shocking development at the White House.
Immediately, #TrumpHasCovid immediately shot to the top of Twitter’s trending topics, along with several other related topics like “First Lady,” “Trump and Melania,” “Hope Hicks” and even “Rona” all flew into the Top 5.
President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which as taken more than 200,000 American lives, has been a huge issue of contention between his camp and that of former Vice President Joe Biden.
In particular, there have been many who’ve questioned his rejection of the advice of some of his scientists, reported public downplaying of the severity and dangers and perhaps most visibly, his attitude toward masks.
While he has publicly stated that he has no problem with masks, he has rarely himself been seen wearing one, and has openly mocked Biden for his use of masks.
Another contentious point for many critics has been Trump’s continued use of massive rallies held with no visible indications that social distancing mandates are being followed, nor has there been much mask usage (except notably among those positioned behind Trump and visible on television screens).
Responses from Hollywood have been as varied as those leaving them, with some choosing to take the high road, like MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who only wished the Trumps a speedy recovery.
