One of Donald Trump’s most controversial aides is the latest member of his inner circle to test positive for Covid-19, adding to a growing list of names since the president announced he had the virus last week
Stephen Miller, a speech writer branded a “villain” – and worse – for his staunch anti-immigration and nationalist views, became the 19th person close to the president to make the now-regular announcement.
“Over the last five days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday,” Miller said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Today, I tested positive for Covid-19 and am in quarantine.”
The US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci, said on Tuesday the recent rash of infections at the White House could have been prevented.
“Take a look at what happened this week at the White House,” Fauci said in an interview with American University’s Kennedy Political Union, when asked what advice he had about how people could discuss preventive actions with relatives who believed the pandemic was a hoax.
“That is a reality, right there. And every day that goes by more people are popping up that are infected. It’s not a hoax. It’s an unfortunate situation when you see something like that because that could have been prevented,” Fauci said.
Attention is focused on a White House Rose Garden ceremony to nominate judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on 26 September which appears to amount to a superspreader event.
Many people who attended, including top Republican senators, have also tested positive for the virus this week.
Currently there are entire countries, such as Barbados, Niger and Liechtenstein with fewer active cases than the White House.
Here’s everyone who has tested so far…
Stephen Miller
Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, a top speechwriter for the president, said in a statement he had tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday and was in quarantine.
As the architect of some of Trump’s most controversial policies notably separating migrant children from their parents at the US-Mexico border,
Jalen Drummond
Assistant press secretary, Jalen Drummond, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a Bloomberg News report. One of the deputies to press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, Drummond was present in the Rose Garden on September 26 ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Admiral Carles Ray
Vice commandant of the US Coast Guard, Admiral Charles Ray, tested positive on Monday for the virus, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
Admiral Ray’s diagnosis has meant the top US military leaders are self-quarantining after Ray had attended a meeting last week with them.
The military’s top brass had all tested negative so far, the Pentagon said.
Jayna McCarron
Jayna McCarron, one of the president’s military aides, has coronavirus, according Bloomberg News on Tuesday.
One of her key roles is transporting the “nuclear football”, the case of codes used in the event of a US nuclear strike that follows the president wherever he goes.
Chad Gilmartin
White House press office staffer, Chad Gilmartin, tested positive over the weekend, according to PBS.
Karoline Leavitt
Karoline Leavitt, a White House communications aide, tested positive for Covid-19, according to Reuters.
Kayleigh McEnany
White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said in a statement on Monday that she has tested positive, adding that she is experiencing no symptoms.
Hope Hicks
Hope Hicks, a close adviser to the president who often traveled with him on the Air Force One and Marine One presidential aircraft, tested positive on Thursday.
She is current’y believed to be the first person in Trump’s inner circle who tested positive for the virus.
Melania Trump
Donald Trump, who had carried out a busy week of events starting with the September 26 introduction of Barrett at the packed White House ceremony, said on Friday that he and his wife, Melania, had tested positive.
Ronna McDaniel
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, who has had frequent contact with Trump, said on Friday she tested positive for the virus and was quarantined at home in Michigan.
Senator Ron Johnson
Ron Johnson, who heads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, a spokesman said on Saturday.
Senator Thom Tillis
Senator Thom Tillis tested positive for the coronavirus, he said in a statement on Friday. A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tillis positive test results comes after he attended a September 26 Oval Office meeting with Barrett.
Senator Mike Lee
Mike Lee, another senator on the Judiciary Committee, also said he tested positive on Friday. He was present at the Oval Office meeting on September 26.
Bill Stepien
Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, also tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and will work from home, according to a senior campaign official.
Governor Chris Christie
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said on Saturday that he was checking himself into a hospital as a precautionary measure after testing positive for coronavirus.
Kellyanne Conway
Kellyanne Conway, a former counselor to Trump, said in a post on Twitter that she had tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. She attended the September 26 Rose Garden ceremony for Barrett.
University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins
University of Notre Dame president John Jenkins, who also attended the White House ceremony, said on Friday that he had tested positive.
Nicholas Luna
Assistant to Trump Nicholas Luna, a “body man” who accompanies the president day and night, has tested positive, according to Bloomberg.
A valet
One of the president’s valets, who is also active duty military and traveled with the president last week, has also tested positive, according to Bloomberg News.