Aide To Mike Pence Tests Positive For COVID-19

One day ago, the White House confirmed that President Trump’s “valet” had tested positive for COVID-19, though it swiftly added that both Trump and VP Pence had both tested negative shortly after.

Now it seems an aide to VP Pence has also tested positive, according to a report by NBC News.

A planned trip to Des Moines was delayed so Pence and his staff could deal with the news.

Pence drew widespread criticism in late April for not wearing a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Pence later said he “should have worn the mask at the Mayo Clinic,” but that he didn’t think it was necessary because he is tested frequently for the coronavirus.

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Pence was scheduled to travel to Des Moines, Iowa, Friday morning, but his departure from Andrews Air Force Base was delayed by nearly an hour as staff dealt with news of the diagnosis. Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two at the last minute, prior to takeoff.

The president said Thursday that he and Pence would both be tested daily for the virus, up from the weekly tests that had been administered up until then. It’s unclear if this policy also applies to staffers. MSNBC reported last night that Trump got “hot lava mad” at his staff after learning his valet had been diagnosed. The president reportedly accused his team of not making his safety a priority.