Chris Christie Tests Positive for COVID a Day After Saying Nobody Wore Masks in Trump’s Debate Prep Room
Chris Christie #ChrisChristie
Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, announced Saturday morning he tested positive for COVID-19, one day after revealing nobody wore a mask while preparing for the first presidential debate with President Donald Trump.
World Reacts To Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Testing Positive For Coronavirus
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Christie announced his diagnosis in a tweet, writing: “I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two.”
The Trump ally had tweeted Friday that he felt fine and wasn’t experiencing any symptoms, but said in his message Saturday that he would be receiving medical attention.
Christie said he’d last been tested Tuesday ahead of the first presidential debate, and again Friday morning following Trump’s announcement that he had tested positive.
Christie appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America that day to discuss Trump’s interactions before his diagnosis and what precautions the Trump administration took to prevent the virus’s spread before Tuesday’s debate.
“No one was wearing a mask in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time,” Christie said on the show. “The group was about five or six people in total.”
Along with Christie, the president’s debate prep team included former New York City mayor and Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has since been tested and reported negative results.
Christie mentioned that the Trumps and Hope Hicks, a top aide to the president who tested positive Thursday, “seemed completely fine” and that he did not notice any symptomatic people during the debate prep.
Trump is believed to have contracted the virus from Hicks, who traveled with the president aboard Air Force One on Tuesday to and from the debate in Cleveland, as well as to a rally Wednesday in Duluth, Minnesota. Hicks began feeling ill during the rally and quarantined on the plane ride home, testing positive the following day.
Trump, who is 74, announced his diagnosis in a tweet early Friday morning, writing: “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Many others in Trump’s political circle have since tested positive, including GOP senators Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Thom Tillis. Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced her positive result Friday, as well as Trump’s re-election campaign manager Bill Stepien.
Update (10/03/20, 12:26 p.m.): This article has been updated to include additional background information.
This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day.
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