Hope Hicks getting off Marine one, the presidential helicopter on Wednesday. She later tested positive
Credit: Reuters
The coronavirus began infiltrating the inner White House bubble on Wednesday.
Hope Hicks, 31, Mr Trump’s former communications director, had returned to his side recently and 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.
The following day, on Wednesday, she was among the small group of officials who went with the president on a campaigning trip to Minnesota.
Ms Hicks left the White House on the presidential helicopter, Marine One, with Mr Trump at 2.43pm.
She was seen walking across the White House’s south lawn to the helicopter in close proximity with presidential advisor Jared Kushner, and Mr Trump’s social media supremo Dan Scavino. None were wearing masks.
Ms Hicks with Dan Scavino, Jared Kushner, and Stephen Miller on the White House lawn on Wednesday
Credit: AP
Anyone who comes into contact with the president, including journalists, are tested beforehand.
The rapid test involves a nasal swab and the result takes about 15 minutes.
Ms Hicks, along with Mr Kushner and Mr Scavino, had been tested on Wednesday morning and were negative.
They boarded and sat down in the confined space of Marine One, and were then joined by Mr Trump.
The helicopter took them to Joint Base Andrews, where they boarded Air Force One.
After arriving at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport, Minnesota, the group travelled by road to two private residences in Shorewood, Minnesota for fundraising events.
No further details of the events were given on White House schedules, and no press were present, but they were believed to be indoors.
Donald Trump and Hope Hicks in 2018
Credit: AFP
The group then moved on to Duluth airport in Minnesota for an evening rally.
Ms Hicks reported feeling minor symptoms after the rally and for the flight back from Duluth to Washington on Wednesday night, she was isolated in a separate part of Air Force One.
Back at Joint Base Andrews she disembarked from a separate exit at the back of the plane.
Shortly afterwards, late on Wednesday, Mr Trump was seen arriving back at the White House on Marine One.
He strode across the south lawn to the residence, and appeared in good health.
Ms Hicks took another test on Wednesday night, either on Air Force One or at Joint Base Andrews, and by Thursday morning her diagnosis had been confirmed.
Despite the positive result Mr Trump decided to go ahead with a commitment to go to Bedminster, New Jersey on Thursday afternoon to meet with donors. leaving the White House at 12.45pm.
The event was closed to the press and it is not known whether he wore a mask.
Ms Hicks with Mr Trump and Sarah Sanders in the Oval Office in 2018
Credit: Reuters
Mr Scavino, and Mr Trump’s current press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, had been due to travel with him, but were replaced because they had been in contact with Ms Hicks.
Meanwhile, word of Ms Hicks diagnosis was spreading among officials in the White House, some of whom, particularly in the communications department, had been in contact with Ms Hicks.
However, there was no public announcement from the White House.
The news only became public at 8.09pm on Thursday when it was tweeted by Jennifer Jacobs, Bloomberg’s senior White House correspondent.
About an hour later, at 9pm, Mr Trump conducted a television interview by phone with Sean Hannity, the Fox News host.
He said: "I just went out for a test. It will come back later I guess, and the first lady also, because we spend a lot of time with Hope."
Mr Trump suggested Ms Hicks may have contracted the virus from hugging members of the military and law enforcement.
He said: "She’s a very warm person with them. She knows there’s a risk, but she is young."
Mr Trump disembarking from Marine One at the White House on Thursday
Credit: AFP
The president said he expected to get the test results, for himself and the first lady, later on Thursday night or early Friday morning.
He said he did not know whether they would be quarantining.
The comments caused surprise because Ms Hicks had already been positive for many hours, and testing Mr Trump would only have taken minutes.
It may have been that he was also taking a different type of test, in addition to the rapid one, that would require a longer wait.
At 10.05pm on Thursday the White House issued a schedule suggesting that on Friday he would go ahead with attending a fundraising event at his Washington hotel, and hold an evening political rally in Sanford, Florida.
Then, at 10.44pm Mr Trump tweeted that he and the first lady would quarantine.
Two hours later, at 12.54am, Mr Trump announced on Twitter that he and the first lady had tested positive.
Mr Trump wrote: "We will get through this TOGETHER!"
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