Donald Trump’s chief of staff contracts Covid-19

Published Nov 7, 2020

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By Amy B Wang, Josh Dawsey

Washington - White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an official with knowledge of the situation.

The diagnosis comes a little more than a month after President Donald Trump and other members of his family and inner circle also tested positive for Covid-19. About two weeks ago, Meadows appeared on CNN to say the administration had effectively given up on trying to slow the virus's spread.

"We're not going to control the pandemic," Meadows said on CNN's "State of the Union" on October 25. "We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations."

Meadows has for months openly brushed off the importance of wearing masks during the pandemic. On Election Day, Meadows visited the Trump campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va., where he was photographed without a mask.

Meadows was also among those in the East Room of the White House when Trump gave remarks around 3 a.m. Wednesday to a crowd of about 150 of his top aides, donors and allies. During that event, Meadows worked the room and stood near Trump campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski, one of the few people there who was wearing a mask.

Ben Williamson, a Meadows spokesman, could not be reached for comment. The White House declined to comment Friday night.