SECONDNEXUS
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After months and months of dismissing the threat posed by the virus that's killed over 200 thousand Americans, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive.
The news came hours after reports emerged that presidential counselor Hope Hicks tested positive as well. Hicks traveled with Trump to a rally in Minnesota, where—like the President and most supporters in attendance—she didn't wear a mask, increasing her chances of spreading the virus to others.
Despite learning Wednesday evening that Hicks had tested positive, Trump attended a fundraiser in Bedminster, New Jersey on Thursday night, hours before announcing to his 86+ million Twitter followers that he'd tested positive for the virus.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
While at the round table fundraiser, a maskless Trump took photos with multiple supporters and delivered a speech, according to The Daily Beast.
After a pandemic-induced hiatus earlier this summer, the President has resumed his infamous rallies, many of which were indoors with supporters choosing not to wear masks.
The President has repeatedly dismissed the virus to the public, saying that it's hardly worse than the flu and that young people are virtually immune to the virus. This contradicts recently released tapes from a February interview between journalist Bob Woodward and Trump, in which the President acknowledged that he downplayed the virus.
People saw the President's decision to attend the fundraiser as yet another reckless action in a pandemic response defined by hubris.
It's borderline criminal that Trump was aware he was exposed to the coronavirus by Hope Hicks, who tested positive on Wed., but he still traveled to his club for a fundraiser on Thurs. "where one attendee said POTUS came in contact with about 100 people" & he was having symptoms https://t.co/fRJJuyCQrY
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 2, 2020
Completely irresponsible. He endangered the life of everyone he came into contact with. https://t.co/k8yZpwJvmn
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) October 2, 2020
For those of you into civility, how's this for reckless endangerment? My God. https://t.co/TAZcsnnRrq
— Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) October 2, 2020
There is a name for this: criminal https://t.co/IzqiepcYJN
— Ben Meiselas (@meiselasb) October 2, 2020
Reckless and dangerous. They knew and they carried on putting powerful and powerless people at risk of exposures https://t.co/SRulRAFTEu
— Jennifer Waisath Harris🧂 (@jwharris) October 2, 2020
The good news is I guess all the high roller donors who snuggled up to Don at Bedminster can afford health insurance.
All the workers exposed to them, however, probably can't. https://t.co/A52Feu9cEA
— K. Louise Neufeld (@ninaandtito) October 2, 2020
This is shameful. https://t.co/G3Ay1mHwXu
— Elizabeth C. McLaughlin 🩸🦷 (@ECMcLaughlin) October 2, 2020
People weren't exactly sympathetic to the President's diagnosis.
So the wise guy here mocking Joe Biden at Tuesday's debate for wearing a mask tests positive for #COVID19. Great. pic.twitter.com/nlxDbbmmo1
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 2, 2020
Why couldn't you have worn a mask, why couldn't you have practice social distancing, why must you have these rallies, all you had to do was listen to CDC guidelines.
— David ex Trump voter for Biden Weissman (@davidmweissman) October 2, 2020
Oh NOW it's called Covid ok https://t.co/yU3BRJXlM1
— Suzy Nakamura (@SuzyNakamura) October 2, 2020