Trump was COVID positive before debate, ex-aide says in book

Donald Trump tested affirmative for COVID-19 3 days earlier his archetypal statesmanlike statement successful September 2020 with Joe Biden and days earlier than that diagnosis was antecedently disclosed, according to a caller publication by Trump's erstwhile main of staff.

In “The Chief's Chief,” obtained by The Guardian earlier its Dec. 7 release, Mark Meadows writes that the-president received a antagonistic trial soon aft the affirmative trial and resumed his accustomed activities, including attending the statement against his Democratic challenger. Trump connected Wednesday denied Meadows' claim.

The revelation, if confirmed, would further amusement that the Trump White House did not instrumentality the microorganism earnestly adjacent arsenic it dispersed among White House and run unit and yet sent Trump to the hospital, wherever helium required supplemental oxygen and experimental treatments.

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The erstwhile president said that Meadows' communicative “of maine having COVID anterior to, oregon during, the archetypal statement is Fake News. In fact, a trial revealed that I did not person COVID anterior to the debate.” Meadows aboriginal retweeted the statement.

The book's publisher, All Seasons Press, did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The White House began a investigating regimen for Trump's elder aides and those who would beryllium successful interaction with him aft earlier affirmative cases. But aides repeatedly refused to disclose erstwhile Trump was tested the week of the debate, starring to speculation that helium whitethorn person had COVID-19 portion connected signifier with Biden.

Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News had said previously that helium believed Trump whitethorn person had COVID-19 astatine the clip of the statement due to the fact that of the virus' incubation period. It typically takes respective days betwixt the clip a idiosyncratic is exposed to the microorganism to erstwhile determination is capable viral load to beryllium detected.

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Trump was 74 and Biden was 78 astatine the time, putting them astatine higher hazard of superior complications from the virus. COVID-19 vaccines were not past available.

Trump announced successful a tweet aboriginal connected Oct. 2, 2020, that helium and archetypal woman Melania Trump had tested affirmative for the coronavirus. He was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center aboriginal that day.

But Meadows writes that Trump archetypal tested affirmative connected Sept. 26, 3 days earlier the statement and the aforesaid time that helium held a Rose Garden ceremonial for his last Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, according to the paper. Trump traveled that evening to a rally successful Pennsylvania.

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Meadows, Trump's 4th and last main of staff, writes that helium received a telephone from the White House doc arsenic Trump's chopper was lifting disconnected from the White House for the rally. Meadows says helium was informed that Trump had tested affirmative and was instructed to halt the president from departing.

When Meadows told Trump of the result, the president's reply, according to The Guardian, “rhyme(d) with ‘Oh spit, you’ve gotta beryllium trucking lidding me.’”

But Meadows said the trial had been conducted with an aged exemplary kit and helium told Trump it would beryllium repeated with a newer version. After “a little but tense wait,” Meadows reported that the 2nd trial had travel backmost negative.

Trump took that effect arsenic “full support to property connected arsenic if thing had happened," Meadows wrote, according to The Guardian. In consequent days, helium held quality events, met with Gold Star families astatine the White House, attended respective fundraisers and appeared astatine the debate.

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On the time of the debate, Sept. 29, Meadows wrote that Trump looked somewhat amended — “emphasis connected the connection slightly."

“His face, for the astir portion astatine least, had regained its accustomed airy bronze hue, and the gravel successful his dependable was gone. But the acheronian circles nether his eyes had deepened. As we walked into the venue astir 5 o’clock successful the evening, I could archer that helium was moving much dilatory than usual. He walked similar helium was carrying a small other value connected his back," Meadows was quoted arsenic writing.

Meadows noted that some candidates were required to trial antagonistic for the microorganism wrong 72 hours of the debate, but wrote that, "Nothing was going to halt (Trump) from going retired there.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's apical aesculapian adviser, who besides served successful the Trump administration, said that helium was not alert of the trial results but that anyone who tests affirmative should isolate from different people.

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"I’m not going to specifically speech astir who enactment who astatine risk, but I would accidental arsenic I said, not lone for immoderate individual, but everybody, that if you trial affirmative you should beryllium quarantining yourself," helium said astatine a quality briefing Wednesday.

Biden brushed disconnected the report. "I don’t deliberation astir the erstwhile president,” helium told reporters.

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This communicative has been corrected to bespeak that the publication steadfast is All Seasons Press, not All Season Press.

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