Trump Adviser Hope Hicks Tests Positive For COVID-19

Former White House Communications chief-turned-senior adviser Hope Hicks has tested positive for the coronavirus, reviving fears about President Trump, VP Mike Pence and other senior staffers being exposed, Bloomberg reports.

Though the anonymous sources who spilled the beans to Bloomberg insisted there was no evidence that Trump was exposed, Hicks did ride with Trump aboard Air Force One to the debate in Cleveland on Tuesday. She also traveled with Trump to his rally in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Other senior staff have contracted the virus and recovered, including National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, though few spend as much time with the president as Hicks, who – according to BBG’s sources – is already experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, though they offered no insight into the nature of the symptoms.

During the time she spent away from the White House, Hicks served as the head of comms at Fox News, a frequent venue for Trump’s interviews and scoops. She initially left the White House in March 2018, after testifying that she sometimes told ‘white lies’ on Trump’s behalf, before returning last year.

Hicks was reportedly seen on Tuesday riding maskless in a staff van with White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, campaign adviser Jason Miller and others, which means that they were likely exposed to the virus, though it’s no guarantee. The staffers will likely be tested, as all of the senior aides to Trump reportedly are regularly screened for COVID-19.