Donald Trump walks from Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House hours before revealing he has Covid-19
Credit: Joshua Roberts/Reuters
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How coronavirus infiltrated the Trump White House
How was Donald Trump allowed to contract coronavirus? Well, it is clear Covid-19 began infiltrating the inner White House bubble earlier this week. Hope Hicks, 31, Mr Trump’s former communications director who returned a positive test on Thursday, had returned to his side recently and had been travelling with him to events. On Tuesday she was with him on the flight to the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio, and was seen getting off Air Force One without a mask. Yet after she gave a negative test result on Wednesday, some White House officials noted Mr Trump himself seemed fatigued. While some put it down to his hectic campaign schedule, others feared he could have the virus, raising the possibility the president, rather than Ms Hicks, was infected first. Nick Allen in Washington reconstructs the events that led to Mr Trump’s confirmation he has Covid-19. And read on for a profile of Ms Hicks.
Even in this hyper-partisan moment in American politics it should not be beyond anyone to wish Mr Trump a speedy recovery and offer thoughts to his loved ones. With election day less than five weeks away, attention inevitably also turns to the impact this could have on the campaign. US Editor Ben Riley-Smith analyses why the diagnosis leaves Mr Trump with some uncomfortable questions with a month to go until polling day. For more insight, why not sign up to our US 2020 newsletter for free.
Trump has ‘mild’ symptoms but is in ‘at risk’ bracket
Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, said Mr Trump and the First Lady were in "good spirits" and "very energetic" today despite suffering from "mild" symptoms. However, at 74, Mr Trump is in the age category deemed most vulnerable to the coronavirus, with around 80pc of Covid-19 deaths in the US occurring among those aged 65 and older. Obesity is also a major risk factor for severe Covid, with the president weighing in at 17 stone 6lbs. Sarah Knapton outlines Mr Trump’s health obstacles. What happens next depends on how sick the president gets. Ben Riley-Smith outlines how the different scenarios could play out. And here is the line of succession if Mr Trump becomes seriously ill.
‘I hope he dies’ says former Clinton spokeswoman
As you would expect, world leaders including Boris Johnson have sent their best wishes to Mr Trump. His US election rival Joe Biden took to Twitter to wish him and First Lady Melania a "swift recovery", adding that he and his wife, Jill, will "continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family". Mr Biden is awaiting the results of a Covid-19 test. However, in a now-deleted tweet, a former spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton has said she "hopes he dies" after learning Mr Trump had contracted Covid-19. The US President joins a growing number of world leaders who have contracted coronavirus. Read on for the list.
At a glance: Latest coronavirus headlines
SNP MP told to resign | Nicola Sturgeon has called on Margaret Ferrier to "do the right thing" and resign after she crossed the country from London to Scotland after having tested positive for Covid-19, with a Cabinet minister warning that "nobody is above the law". The MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West admitted to travelling to Parliament without waiting for test results, speaking in the Commons, and then returning home by train after receiving a positive test. Read the latest and here is a summary of the public figures who have broken the rules.
- Covid second wave fears | Britons less confident about socialising
- Organised crime | Covid loans for small businesses ‘being targeted’
- Travel latest | Thousands of holidays cancelled as Turkey red listed
- Strictly Come Dancing | Show hit by Covid as celebrity tests positive
- Covid tracker | Search how many cases there have been in your area
Also in the news: Today’s other headlines
- Storm Alex | High winds cause power cuts across southern England
- Brexit talks | Boris Johnson to meet European Commission president
- Businessman killed | Dies trying to break British land speed record
- Tweety spy | MI6 boss vows to stay on Twitter after first day in job
- Space potty | NASA unveils £17.8m titanium toilet
Around the world: EU agrees sanctions on Belarus
EU leaders have finally agreed to hit Belarus with sanctions before warning Turkey it faced the same punishment if it continued oil and gas drilling in disputed areas of the Mediterranean. Cyprus had vetoed agreement on the sanctions, which do not hit President Alexander Lukashenko personally, until it was satisfied the EU’s condemnation of Turkey was strong enough. The heads of state and government needed six hours of summit talks in Brussels to break an embarrassing deadlock that delayed EU sanctions for election-rigging in Belarus for a month.
Friday interview
‘You can’t play for Everton if you can’t handle the expectation’
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Credit: Tony McArdle/Everton FC
In-form Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on his England call-up, the power of Carlo Ancelotti and targeting Champions League football
Read the full interview
Comment and analysis
- Freddy Gray | Trump has to catch Covid for media to treat him fairly
- Morgan Schondelmeier | It’s impossible to dismiss Covid as a ‘hoax’
- Tom Harris | What Margaret Ferrier’s behaviour shows about the SNP
- Jeremy Warner | Under cover of Covid, a bigger shift is taking place
- Lauren Davidson | Property ‘mini-boom’ may become ‘mega-bust’
Editor’s choice: Features and arts
Business and money briefing
Asda sold | Walmart has agreed to sell supermarket giant Asda to a group led by billionaire petrol station tycoons Mohsin and Zuber Issa. The £6.8bn deal leaves Walmart, which has owned the UK’s third-largest supermarket chain since 1999, with a minority stake. Read a profile of the Blackburn brothers who brought Asda back into British hands.
- UK’s youngest billionaire | Charges over money laundering in US
- David Beckham | Esports firm backed by ex-footballer slides
- On top of markets | Live stocks and shares updates 24 hours a day
Sport briefing
Liverpool — the master salesmen | If Liverpool Sporting Director Michael Edwards ever tires of the Premier League, a career in Wall Street surely beckons. His impressive sales portfolio grows with every transfer window. Chris Bascombe reveals how Liverpool’s ability to nurture young talent to maximise their transfer value has become a hallmark.
- Jamie Carragher | If Dias fails at City, the Pep project could be over
- Europa League draw | English and Scottish clubs learn opponents
- Will Greenwood | My Gallagher Premiership team of the season
Tonight’s TV
Brave New World, Sky One/NOW TV, 9pm | This is a flashy adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s classic dystopian novel, in which the heavily medicated population of New London live by three rules: No Privacy, No Family, No Monogamy. Read on for more.
And finally… for this evening’s downtime
Back to the Roaring Twenties | Is this the perfect way to party in the age of Covid? An immersive production of The Great Gatsby may have set the template for British theatre after it was reimagined to meet government coronavirus guidelines. Dominic Cavendish went behind the scenes as it reopened its doors to paying customers.
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