President Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, according to a press release from the White House.
The President had been exposed to at least two people who have tested positive for COVID-19 — one at CPAC, and another at an event with Brazilian President Jair Bolsinaro.
“Last night after an in-depth discussion with the President regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed,” according to a statement by press secretary Stephanie Grisham with Trump’s permission. “One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the President remains symptom-free. I have been in daily contact with the CDC and White House Coronavirus Task Force, and we are encouraging the implementation of all their best practices for exposure reduction and transmission mitigation.”
In addition, Trump said on Saturday that he had also had his temperature taken earlier in the day, before entering the White House briefing room. The President told reporters that his temperature was normal.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2020
The White House physician had previously stated in a memo that the President “remains without symptoms, testing for COVID-19 is not currently indicated.”
Trump said he took the test “only because the press is going crazy. I also took the test last night. And I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday. People were asking, did I take the test?” he explained, referring to his press conference Friday in which he declared a national emergency in order to access $50 billion in federal resources to combat coronavirus.
The President’s decision to take the test comes after the press secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Brazil’s chargé d’affaires in Washington both tested positive for coronavirus this week, days after meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.