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More GOP Lawmakers, Trump Associates Test Positive For COVID-19

President Trump's campaign manager and his former adviser Kellyanne Conway have tested positive since he was hospitalized.
Posted at 1:01 PM, Oct 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-03 13:01:33-04

Since President Trump's hospitalization for COVID-19, many of his allies have also tested positive for the virus.

Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced her diagnosis Friday night — the same day the president's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, received a positive test result.

Gov. Chris Christie also announced a positive test on Twitter Saturday. 

All three helped prepare President Trump for his Tuesday debate with Joe Biden. 

White House senior adviser Hope Hicks tested positive Thursday night, prompting the president to get tested himself.

U.S. Sens. Mike Lee and Thom Tillis have tested positive as well. Lee and Tillis are both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and attended the president's Supreme Court nomination ceremony for Judge Amy Coney Barrett last Saturday. It's not clear if their diagnoses will affect the timeline for Barrett's confirmation.

Sen. Ron Johnson also tested positive for the virus — potentially putting the Republican's voting majority further in jeopardy.

The president and many members of the GOP have been downplaying the pandemic's seriousness for months. President Trump only occasionally wore a mask in public before his diagnosis.

The White House physician said the president is "doing very well" and is receiving an experimental treatment of remdesivir, which studies suggest may shorten COVID-19 recovery time.