President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he had contracted the coronavirus upended the presidential race in an instant, leaving both sides to confront a wrenching set of strategic choices and unexpected questions that will help shape the final month before Election Day.

As the president boarded Marine One to fly to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment, his aides announced that they were suspending his campaign events and those of his family members, who are his most ubiquitous surrogates. Privately, his top advisers expressed shock at the turn of events and hoped that Trump’s symptoms would remain mild and he could at least begin appearing on television next week.

At the same time, Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic rival, disclosed that he had tested negative for the virus and continued to campaign, beginning with a previously scheduled campaign trip Friday to Michigan.

With Biden already leading in the polls, and Trump’s electoral prospects dependent on his ability to campaign, the president has little time to change the trajectory of the race. The fate of his reelection bid increasingly seemed to hinge on his own health — and whether he would be able to overcome the disease and persuade voters to give him another four years.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-having-trouble-breathing-at-hospital-report-332269">Trump having 'trouble breathing' at hospital: Report</a>

The split-screen between the candidates Friday represented a striking reversal from the last few months, during which Trump pushed on with his rallies and belittled Biden for adhering to health protocols and running a “basement campaign.”

The former vice president was careful to avoid anything that could be perceived as exploiting the situation Friday; at an appearance in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he did not criticize Trump for his handling of the virus and closed his remarks by calling on God to “protect the first family, and every family that is dealing with this virus.”

Biden’s campaign also moved to take down negative television commercials Friday that lashed Trump for his handling of the virus, according to a Democratic official familiar with the ad traffic. And Biden’s campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, emailed the entire campaign urging its members to “refrain from posting about the situation on social media.”

Biden’s aides said he had no plans to step away from his travels — at least for now.

The president’s illness is certain to keep the coronavirus pandemic front and center in the remaining weeks before the election, a development that would appear to favor Biden, whose campaign message is focused on criticism of Trump’s stewardship of the deadly disease.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-several-days-and-events-the-virus-swirled-around-trump-332306">Over several days and events, the virus swirled around Trump</a>

In the White House, advisers to the president acknowledged that the positive test would remind voters of how dismissive Trump had been about the virus, not only with the neglect of his own safety but also in his overly rosy assessments about a pandemic that has killed more than 208,000 Americans. Trump’s recklessness, one adviser acknowledged, amounted to a political “disaster.”

As it became clear late Friday that a number of attendees at last week’s Rose Garden announcement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination had also tested positive, the White House was also confronting accusations it had hosted a so-called “super spreader” event.

For all the drama 2020 has delivered, the presidential race has been largely impervious to even momentous events, whether it was impeachment, the virus, unrest over racism and severe economic distress. Biden has enjoyed a steady lead in the polls since effectively claiming the nomination in April.

But an incumbent president testing positive for a potentially deadly disease is of a greater order of magnitude.

Republicans worried Friday that Trump would have to remain in the hospital for a significant period of time, imagery they fear would be damaging at a moment when millions of Americans are already voting.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/internet-explodes-with-memes-after-trump-who-called-covid-19-a-hoax-tests-positive-331985">Internet explodes with memes after Trump, who called COVID-19 a 'hoax', tests positive</a>

GOP officials were also concerned that a race with very few undecided voters would freeze in place. Multiple party strategists said their polling in the two nights after the presidential debate had revealed substantial slippage, and not just at the top of the ticket.

“This limits Trump’s opportunity to turn this thing around and drive a winning message,” said Terry Sullivan, a Republican consultant. “He’s lost any ability to control the narrative.”

Should the final weeks of the campaign be dominated by the coronavirus, Trump’s challenge will be intensified by his casual approach to the disease and its deadliness.

The president spent months disregarding and mocking the basic precautions, such as wearing a mask, that his health advisers were urging Americans to take to protect themselves.

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&nbsp;

Still, few Democrats had any degree of confidence on how the final weeks of the race would play out.

Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada said Biden should proceed. “I don’t see why he should quit campaigning unless something really bad happens,” Titus said. “And then all bets are off.”

What some Democrats feared, and Republicans hoped, is that there would be a rallying around Trump and he would garner sympathy from voters. Yet even the most optimistic Republican allowed that those sentiments wouldn’t automatically translate into votes.

At the very least, Republicans said they hoped Trump’s illness would prompt him to refrain from the inflammatory rhetoric that has alienated many voters and make the election less of a referendum on his behavior.

“Peace and calm helps him,” said Alex Castellanos, a longtime Republican strategist. “He is the polarizing element, not the direction he would like to take the country.”

Trump’s political fortunes will depend in large part on the severity of his illness. Other world leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, have been sickened by the virus and returned to lead their countries.

The 74-year-old president is older than his counterparts who have contracted COVID-19, however, and they were not on the ballot when they tested positive.

In any event, the effect of even seemingly cataclysmic events on the race are hard to predict. After all, when the “Access Hollywood” video emerged just weeks before the election in 2016, it was widely thought that Trump’s boast of grabbing women’s genitals would effectively end his chances of winning.

Democratic lawmakers on Friday urged Biden to remain on the campaign trail and tailor his remarks to reflect the seriousness of the moment.

“It’s proof that we need to be vigilant and we need mature leadership,” said Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio. “He doesn’t even need to bring up Trump by name, just say it’s very serious, even the president can get it.”

While Biden aides are being careful not to appear publicly insensitive, they suspect that Trump had already contracted the virus by the time of his caustic performance in Tuesday’s debate, a campaign official said Friday. And they are angry that members of Trump’s family refused to wear masks in the debate hall and appeared to rebuff the efforts of an employee of the Cleveland Clinic to get them to wear one, the official said.

It is almost certain that the remaining two debates between Trump and Biden will be affected. The next one is scheduled for less than two weeks from now, on Oct. 15, and the president may be isolated until then.

The nature of the campaign will be disrupted as well. And after having gone forward with the large rallies he craves, despite rules against large gatherings in many states, Trump will not be able to leave Washington during a final, crucial stretch of the campaign.

Moreover, one of his central arguments against Biden, that the 77-year-old former vice president is enfeebled and unfit to lead the country, has now been undermined by questions about the president’s own health.

“Trump is now in the position of becoming exhibit No. 1 for the failure of his leadership on coronavirus, and he runs the risk that his supporters will feel misled by his dismissiveness of the virus and the need for precautions,” said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster.

The president was already lagging in the polls in part because of his difficulties with older voters, a constituency that leans Republican but is also at the highest risk from the virus.

Some of Trump’s aides began the day Friday discussing ways for him to be seen by the public. But it became clear by the afternoon that was not possible, and they released a statement from his doctor acknowledging he was fatigued and was taking an experimental antibody drug combination.

In private conversations, members of his staff were also candid that the president had some underlying conditions that could make him more susceptible to a severe bout of the virus.

No modern president has publicly endured a health crisis this close to a reelection attempt. Ronald Reagan was shot and convalesced in 1981, just over two months after he was first sworn in. And Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while in office, but it was more than a year before he faced the voters for a second time.

Some Republicans hoped his ill-fated June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he couldn’t come close to filling the arena and some of his own staff members got the virus, would serve as a wake-up call.

But while the event put an end to his rallies for a period, it did not make Trump more sober about the threat of the virus.

The president restarted the rallies during the Democratic convention in August. The events have been mostly, but not always, outdoors, often in hangars at smaller airfields. Yet his supporters, journalists, White House staff members, security workers and others are around one another for hours at the rallies. And many of those who attend, including Trump and members of his staff, have not worn masks.

President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he had contracted the coronavirus upended the presidential race in an instant, leaving both sides to confront a wrenching set of strategic choices and unexpected questions that will help shape the final month before Election Day.

President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he had contracted the coronavirus upended the presidential race in an instant, leaving both sides to confront a wrenching set of strategic choices and unexpected questions that will help shape the final month before Election Day. As the president boarded Marine One to fly to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment, his aides announced that they were suspending his campaign events and those of his family members, who are his most ubiquitous surrogates. Privately, his top advisers expressed shock at the turn of events and hoped that Trump’s symptoms would remain mild and he could at least begin appearing on television next week. At the same time, Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic rival, disclosed that he had tested negative for the virus and continued to campaign, beginning with a previously scheduled campaign trip Friday to Michigan. With Biden already leading in the polls, and Trump’s electoral prospects dependent on his ability to campaign, the president has little time to change the trajectory of the race. The fate of his reelection bid increasingly seemed to hinge on his own health — and whether he would be able to overcome the disease and persuade voters to give him another four years. Also Read | Trump having 'trouble breathing' at hospital: Report The split-screen between the candidates Friday represented a striking reversal from the last few months, during which Trump pushed on with his rallies and belittled Biden for adhering to health protocols and running a “basement campaign.” The former vice president was careful to avoid anything that could be perceived as exploiting the situation Friday; at an appearance in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he did not criticize Trump for his handling of the virus and closed his remarks by calling on God to “protect the first family, and every family that is dealing with this virus.” Biden’s campaign also moved to take down negative television commercials Friday that lashed Trump for his handling of the virus, according to a Democratic official familiar with the ad traffic. And Biden’s campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, emailed the entire campaign urging its members to “refrain from posting about the situation on social media.” Biden’s aides said he had no plans to step away from his travels — at least for now. The president’s illness is certain to keep the coronavirus pandemic front and center in the remaining weeks before the election, a development that would appear to favor Biden, whose campaign message is focused on criticism of Trump’s stewardship of the deadly disease. Also Read | Over several days and events, the virus swirled around Trump In the White House, advisers to the president acknowledged that the positive test would remind voters of how dismissive Trump had been about the virus, not only with the neglect of his own safety but also in his overly rosy assessments about a pandemic that has killed more than 208,000 Americans. Trump’s recklessness, one adviser acknowledged, amounted to a political “disaster.” As it became clear late Friday that a number of attendees at last week’s Rose Garden announcement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination had also tested positive, the White House was also confronting accusations it had hosted a so-called “super spreader” event. For all the drama 2020 has delivered, the presidential race has been largely impervious to even momentous events, whether it was impeachment, the virus, unrest over racism and severe economic distress. Biden has enjoyed a steady lead in the polls since effectively claiming the nomination in April. But an incumbent president testing positive for a potentially deadly disease is of a greater order of magnitude. Republicans worried Friday that Trump would have to remain in the hospital for a significant period of time, imagery they fear would be damaging at a moment when millions of Americans are already voting. Also Read | Internet explodes with memes after Trump, who called COVID-19 a 'hoax', tests positive GOP officials were also concerned that a race with very few undecided voters would freeze in place. Multiple party strategists said their polling in the two nights after the presidential debate had revealed substantial slippage, and not just at the top of the ticket. “This limits Trump’s opportunity to turn this thing around and drive a winning message,” said Terry Sullivan, a Republican consultant. “He’s lost any ability to control the narrative.” Should the final weeks of the campaign be dominated by the coronavirus, Trump’s challenge will be intensified by his casual approach to the disease and its deadliness. The president spent months disregarding and mocking the basic precautions, such as wearing a mask, that his health advisers were urging Americans to take to protect themselves. × Still, few Democrats had any degree of confidence on how the final weeks of the race would play out. Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada said Biden should proceed. “I don’t see why he should quit campaigning unless something really bad happens,” Titus said. “And then all bets are off.” What some Democrats feared, and Republicans hoped, is that there would be a rallying around Trump and he would garner sympathy from voters. Yet even the most optimistic Republican allowed that those sentiments wouldn’t automatically translate into votes. At the very least, Republicans said they hoped Trump’s illness would prompt him to refrain from the inflammatory rhetoric that has alienated many voters and make the election less of a referendum on his behavior. “Peace and calm helps him,” said Alex Castellanos, a longtime Republican strategist. “He is the polarizing element, not the direction he would like to take the country.” Trump’s political fortunes will depend in large part on the severity of his illness. Other world leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, have been sickened by the virus and returned to lead their countries. The 74-year-old president is older than his counterparts who have contracted COVID-19, however, and they were not on the ballot when they tested positive. In any event, the effect of even seemingly cataclysmic events on the race are hard to predict. After all, when the “Access Hollywood” video emerged just weeks before the election in 2016, it was widely thought that Trump’s boast of grabbing women’s genitals would effectively end his chances of winning. Democratic lawmakers on Friday urged Biden to remain on the campaign trail and tailor his remarks to reflect the seriousness of the moment. “It’s proof that we need to be vigilant and we need mature leadership,” said Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio. “He doesn’t even need to bring up Trump by name, just say it’s very serious, even the president can get it.” While Biden aides are being careful not to appear publicly insensitive, they suspect that Trump had already contracted the virus by the time of his caustic performance in Tuesday’s debate, a campaign official said Friday. And they are angry that members of Trump’s family refused to wear masks in the debate hall and appeared to rebuff the efforts of an employee of the Cleveland Clinic to get them to wear one, the official said. It is almost certain that the remaining two debates between Trump and Biden will be affected. The next one is scheduled for less than two weeks from now, on Oct. 15, and the president may be isolated until then. The nature of the campaign will be disrupted as well. And after having gone forward with the large rallies he craves, despite rules against large gatherings in many states, Trump will not be able to leave Washington during a final, crucial stretch of the campaign. Moreover, one of his central arguments against Biden, that the 77-year-old former vice president is enfeebled and unfit to lead the country, has now been undermined by questions about the president’s own health. “Trump is now in the position of becoming exhibit No. 1 for the failure of his leadership on coronavirus, and he runs the risk that his supporters will feel misled by his dismissiveness of the virus and the need for precautions,” said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster. The president was already lagging in the polls in part because of his difficulties with older voters, a constituency that leans Republican but is also at the highest risk from the virus. Some of Trump’s aides began the day Friday discussing ways for him to be seen by the public. But it became clear by the afternoon that was not possible, and they released a statement from his doctor acknowledging he was fatigued and was taking an experimental antibody drug combination. In private conversations, members of his staff were also candid that the president had some underlying conditions that could make him more susceptible to a severe bout of the virus. No modern president has publicly endured a health crisis this close to a reelection attempt. Ronald Reagan was shot and convalesced in 1981, just over two months after he was first sworn in. And Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while in office, but it was more than a year before he faced the voters for a second time. Some Republicans hoped his ill-fated June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he couldn’t come close to filling the arena and some of his own staff members got the virus, would serve as a wake-up call. But while the event put an end to his rallies for a period, it did not make Trump more sober about the threat of the virus. The president restarted the rallies during the Democratic convention in August. The events have been mostly, but not always, outdoors, often in hangars at smaller airfields. Yet his supporters, journalists, White House staff members, security workers and others are around one another for hours at the rallies. And many of those who attend, including Trump and members of his staff, have not worn masks.

Trump’s positive coronavirus test upends campaign in final stretch

Several world leaders reached out to the US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and his wife Melania Trump after the couple tested positive for coronavirus.

China, too, has now sent their wishes to the President who has often alleged China of spreading the novel coronavirus in the world and has referred to it as the 'Wuhan virus' and 'China virus'.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson,&nbsp;Hua Chunying, took to Twitter to pass on her good wishes for the First Couple on behalf of China.

"Saddened to learn #President and the #FirstLady of the #US tested positive. Hope they both have a speedy recovery and will be fine," she tweeted.

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Saddened to learn <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/President?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#President</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FirstLady?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FirstLady</a> of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/US?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#US</a> tested positive. Hope they both have a speedy recovery and will be fine.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonCHN/status/1312041413576585216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The tweet came hours after the Chinese mouthpiece <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-daily-slams-trump-in-first-reaction-as-us-president-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-331974">Global Times' Edito</a>r had slammed the President for mishandling the pandemic in the US, instead of offering his sympathies to&nbsp;Trump.&nbsp;

Hu Xijin, the Editor of the China national daily, said the President and his wife have "paid the price" for downplaying the pandemic — an accusation Trump had admitted to on tape.

"President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection," Hu Xijin&nbsp;said.

Also watch|

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&nbsp;

Several world leaders reached out to the US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump after the couple tested positive for coronavirus. China, too, has now sent their wishes to the President who has often alleged China of spreading the novel coronavirus in the world and has referred to it as the 'Wuhan virus' and 'China virus'.

Several world leaders reached out to the US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump after the couple tested positive for coronavirus. China, too, has now sent their wishes to the President who has often alleged China of spreading the novel coronavirus in the world and has referred to it as the 'Wuhan virus' and 'China virus'. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, took to Twitter to pass on her good wishes for the First Couple on behalf of China. "Saddened to learn #President and the #FirstLady of the #US tested positive. Hope they both have a speedy recovery and will be fine," she tweeted. Saddened to learn #President and the #FirstLady of the #US tested positive. Hope they both have a speedy recovery and will be fine. — Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) October 2, 2020 × The tweet came hours after the Chinese mouthpiece Global Times' Editor had slammed the President for mishandling the pandemic in the US, instead of offering his sympathies to Trump. Hu Xijin, the Editor of the China national daily, said the President and his wife have "paid the price" for downplaying the pandemic — an accusation Trump had admitted to on tape. "President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection," Hu Xijin said. Also watch| ×

China breaks silence on Trump, wishes him speedy recovery

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message to Donald Trump after the US president's diagnosis with coronavirus, wishing him a speedy recovery.

"He offered his sympathy to the president and the First Lady," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it was the first time Kim had sent well wishes to a world leader who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"He sincerely hoped that they would be recovered as soon as possible. He hoped they will surely overcome it. He sent warm greetings to them," KCNA added.

Trump announced in the early hours of Friday that he had tested positive for Covid-19. He was later airlifted to a military hospital for further observation and treatment.

Trump and Kim held three high-profile meetings starting in June 2018, after an uptick in tensions between Washington and Pyongyang at the start of Trump's term. But nothing concrete emerged in terms of Pyongyang's denuclearisation, and talks have been officially at a standstill for months.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in mid-September that talks were ongoing behind the scenes.

Trump touts his friendly relations with Kim as one of his foreign policy achievements.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message to Donald Trump after the US president's diagnosis with coronavirus, wishing him a speedy recovery. "He offered his sympathy to the president and the First Lady," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message to Donald Trump after the US president's diagnosis with coronavirus, wishing him a speedy recovery. "He offered his sympathy to the president and the First Lady," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it was the first time Kim had sent well wishes to a world leader who tested positive for the novel coronavirus. "He sincerely hoped that they would be recovered as soon as possible. He hoped they will surely overcome it. He sent warm greetings to them," KCNA added. Trump announced in the early hours of Friday that he had tested positive for Covid-19. He was later airlifted to a military hospital for further observation and treatment. Trump and Kim held three high-profile meetings starting in June 2018, after an uptick in tensions between Washington and Pyongyang at the start of Trump's term. But nothing concrete emerged in terms of Pyongyang's denuclearisation, and talks have been officially at a standstill for months. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in mid-September that talks were ongoing behind the scenes. Trump touts his friendly relations with Kim as one of his foreign policy achievements.

N Korean leader Kim Jong-un wishes Trump a speedy recovery

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-airlifted-to-military-hospital-for-covid-treatment-releases-video-message-332132">Trump airlifted to military hospital for COVID treatment; releases video message</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/10/03/162933-donald-trump-1.jpg?itok=ja0igzYl" />

Trump will be staying at the hospital for the "next few days" and will undergo treatment for COVID-19, the White House reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-to-investigate-use-of-its-tech-in-armenia-azerbaijan-clash-332133">Canada to investigate use of its tech in Armenia-Azerbaijan clash</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/08/13/154384-justin-trudeau.jpg?itok=IqXBItC3" />

Earlier in October 2019, Canada had announced a freeze on issuing of export permits of military shipments to Turkey.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-deploys-military-to-block-migrant-caravan-blames-us-election-332138">Mexico deploys military to block migrant caravan; blames US election</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/01/19/124774-untitled-design-2.jpg?itok=8Qt3LLyb" />

'It seems very strange to us. It's very strange that this caravan leaves on the eve of the election in the United States,' the Mexican President said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wh-coronavirus-protocol-not-likely-to-change-despite-trump-testing-positive-332137">WH coronavirus protocol not likely to change despite Trump testing positive</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/09/18/160405-trump-new-reu.jpg?itok=mommmTsq" />

Reports say masks will still not be mandatory at the White House, describing them as "a personal choice". And this is despite overwhelming evidence that they help to stop the spread.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-quarantine-for-us-vice-president-pence-next-in-line-to-trump-332140">No quarantine for US Vice-President Pence, next in line to Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump's testing positive for the coronavirus has cast a spotlight on Vice-President Mike Pence.

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&nbsp;

Trump airlifted to military hospital for COVID treatment; releases video message Trump will be staying at the hospital for the "next few days" and will undergo treatment for COVID-19, the White House reported.

Trump airlifted to military hospital for COVID treatment; releases video message Trump will be staying at the hospital for the "next few days" and will undergo treatment for COVID-19, the White House reported. Canada to investigate use of its tech in Armenia-Azerbaijan clash Earlier in October 2019, Canada had announced a freeze on issuing of export permits of military shipments to Turkey. Mexico deploys military to block migrant caravan; blames US election 'It seems very strange to us. It's very strange that this caravan leaves on the eve of the election in the United States,' the Mexican President said. WH coronavirus protocol not likely to change despite Trump testing positive Reports say masks will still not be mandatory at the White House, describing them as "a personal choice". And this is despite overwhelming evidence that they help to stop the spread. No quarantine for US Vice-President Pence, next in line to Trump US President Donald Trump's testing positive for the coronavirus has cast a spotlight on Vice-President Mike Pence. ×

Morning news brief: Armenia-Azerbaijan clash, no quarantine for Pence and more

Chinese daily Global Times has, in its reaction to Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, testing positive for coronavirus, slammed the US President for his mishandling of the pandemic.

China's 1st reaction as Trump tests positive

US President Donald Trump has been admitted to the Walter Reed hospital after getting with coronavirus yesterday. Watch report.

Trump checks in at Walter Reed hospital: Trump hospitalised after coronavirus diagnosis

Joe Biden and his wife have tested negative for the coronavirus, his primary care doctor confirmed on Friday.

Joe Biden and wife tests negative for coronavirus: Shared stage with Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump's testing positive for the coronavirus has cast a spotlight on Vice-President Mike Pence. A Christian conservative former lawmaker who has been one of the few constants in the Republican president's tumultuous administration, he tested negative for COVID-19.

Pence is scheduled to debate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden's running mate Senator Kamala Harris on Wednesday in Utah. A source at the Commission on Presidential Debates, which oversees the events, said there were no plans to scrap the debate after Trump's positive test.

"This morning, Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for COVID-19. Vice President Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery," spokesman Devin O'Malley said on Twitter.

Pence does not need to quarantine, because he is not considered a close contact with any individuals who have tested positive, including Trump, Pence's doctor Jesse Schonau said in a statement. "Vice President Pence remains in good health and is free to go about his normal activities," he said.

Pence, who was last seen publically with Trump on Monday at a Rose Garden news conference on coronavirus testing, would take over as acting president should Trump become incapacitated while undergoing medical treatment. That has happened three times in US history.

Then-president George W Bush temporarily transferred power to vice-president Dick Cheney twice, for a few hours each in 2002 and 2007, while undergoing colonoscopies.&nbsp;

Vice-President George HW Bush was acting president for nearly eight hours in 1985 while President Ronald Reagan had a pre-cancerous lesion removed.

The White House said Trump is "not incapacitated" and is working in isolation while experiencing mild symptoms.

Pence filled in for Trump Friday on a conference call with governors about the coronavirus pandemic, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told 1010 WINS radio. Pence also stood in for Trump on a call with state leaders to discuss support for vulnerable seniors.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is next in line of succession after Pence. She was tested Friday for COVID-19 and the results were negative, her spokesman said.

Harris tested negative on Thursday as part of her campaign's routine screening for the virus.

Pence has played a largely behind-the-scenes role in Trump's White House, although he is known to have presidential ambitions of his own.

His deference has endeared him to Trump, helping Pence survive in a White House with near-constant turnover among top officials. But he has sometimes been ridiculed for his public obsequiousness to his boss. Earlier this year Trump put Pence in charge of the US response to the coronavirus pandemic, a brief that has not gone well. The nation's death toll from the virus is over 207,000.

US President Donald Trump's testing positive for the coronavirus has cast a spotlight on Vice-President Mike Pence. A Christian conservative former lawmaker who has been one of the few constants in the Republican president's tumultuous administration, he tested negative for COVID-19.

US President Donald Trump's testing positive for the coronavirus has cast a spotlight on Vice-President Mike Pence. A Christian conservative former lawmaker who has been one of the few constants in the Republican president's tumultuous administration, he tested negative for COVID-19. Pence is scheduled to debate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden's running mate Senator Kamala Harris on Wednesday in Utah. A source at the Commission on Presidential Debates, which oversees the events, said there were no plans to scrap the debate after Trump's positive test. "This morning, Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for COVID-19. Vice President Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery," spokesman Devin O'Malley said on Twitter. Pence does not need to quarantine, because he is not considered a close contact with any individuals who have tested positive, including Trump, Pence's doctor Jesse Schonau said in a statement. "Vice President Pence remains in good health and is free to go about his normal activities," he said. Pence, who was last seen publically with Trump on Monday at a Rose Garden news conference on coronavirus testing, would take over as acting president should Trump become incapacitated while undergoing medical treatment. That has happened three times in US history. Then-president George W Bush temporarily transferred power to vice-president Dick Cheney twice, for a few hours each in 2002 and 2007, while undergoing colonoscopies. Vice-President George HW Bush was acting president for nearly eight hours in 1985 while President Ronald Reagan had a pre-cancerous lesion removed. The White House said Trump is "not incapacitated" and is working in isolation while experiencing mild symptoms. Pence filled in for Trump Friday on a conference call with governors about the coronavirus pandemic, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told 1010 WINS radio. Pence also stood in for Trump on a call with state leaders to discuss support for vulnerable seniors. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is next in line of succession after Pence. She was tested Friday for COVID-19 and the results were negative, her spokesman said. Harris tested negative on Thursday as part of her campaign's routine screening for the virus. Pence has played a largely behind-the-scenes role in Trump's White House, although he is known to have presidential ambitions of his own. His deference has endeared him to Trump, helping Pence survive in a White House with near-constant turnover among top officials. But he has sometimes been ridiculed for his public obsequiousness to his boss. Earlier this year Trump put Pence in charge of the US response to the coronavirus pandemic, a brief that has not gone well. The nation's death toll from the virus is over 207,000.

No quarantine for US Vice-President Pence, next in line to Trump

The US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and his wife Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday and had been in quarantine since then.

However, now, in order to make sure the President's health remains steady, he has been airlifted to a military hospital outside Washington on Friday.

Trump&nbsp;will be staying at the hospital for the "next few days" and will undergo treatment for COVID-19, the White House reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-has-the-coronavirus-what-risks-does-he-face-332026">Also read:&nbsp;Trump has the coronavirus. What risks does he face?</a>

The move to the Walter Reed Hospital has been declared as just a precautionary step.&nbsp;"At the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the president will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.

He&nbsp;was now spotted wearing a mask&nbsp;and did not take any questions from the journalists. However, the onlookers and the local media confirmed that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was able to walk unassisted.

Trump&nbsp;also issued a video message on his Twitter account&nbsp;where he thanked everyone for their support and assured that he is doing very well.&nbsp;"I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support," he said.

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<a href="https://t.co/B4H105KVSs">pic.twitter.com/B4H105KVSs</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1312158400352972800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"I am going to Walter Reed hospital. I think I am doing very well. But we are going to make sure that things work out," Trump said.

"The First Lady is doing very well," he added.

Trump&nbsp;will be carrying out his presidential duties from the&nbsp;presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days now.&nbsp;

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Thank you for the love you are sending our way. I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good. I am looking forward to a speedy recovery.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1312046490077061121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, his close ades Mike pence and Mike Pompeo have tested negative. His&nbsp;emocratic rival&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his running mate Kamala Harris, too, have tested negative for the novel coronavirus. Once mocked by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;for staying indoors,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;is the only <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US election</a>&nbsp;candidate who is still able to campaign now.

A lot of questions are being raised on whether or not the next two presidential debates willtake place, considering&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;health — second debate is scheduled for&nbsp;October 15 in Miami, and the third is set for October 22 in Nashville.

As per the statement issued by the White House physician Sean Conley, not everything seems to be "great". For now, Conley has given&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;a single dose of Regeneron's antibody cocktail, a treatment undergoing clinical trials but not yet approved by regulators.

"He's being evaluated by a team of experts, and together we'll be making recommendations to the President and First Lady in regards to next best steps," Conley wrote.

The US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday and had been in quarantine since then. However, now, in order to make sure the President's health remains steady, he has been airlifted to a military hospital outside Washington on Friday.

The US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday and had been in quarantine since then. However, now, in order to make sure the President's health remains steady, he has been airlifted to a military hospital outside Washington on Friday. Trump will be staying at the hospital for the "next few days" and will undergo treatment for COVID-19, the White House reported. Also read: Trump has the coronavirus. What risks does he face? The move to the Walter Reed Hospital has been declared as just a precautionary step. "At the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the president will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. He was now spotted wearing a mask and did not take any questions from the journalists. However, the onlookers and the local media confirmed that Trump was able to walk unassisted. Trump also issued a video message on his Twitter account where he thanked everyone for their support and assured that he is doing very well. "I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support," he said. pic.twitter.com/B4H105KVSs — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020 × "I am going to Walter Reed hospital. I think I am doing very well. But we are going to make sure that things work out," Trump said. "The First Lady is doing very well," he added. Trump will be carrying out his presidential duties from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days now. Thank you for the love you are sending our way. I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good. I am looking forward to a speedy recovery. — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020 × Meanwhile, his close ades Mike pence and Mike Pompeo have tested negative. His emocratic rival Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris, too, have tested negative for the novel coronavirus. Once mocked by Trump for staying indoors, Biden is the only US election candidate who is still able to campaign now. A lot of questions are being raised on whether or not the next two presidential debates willtake place, considering Trump's health — second debate is scheduled for October 15 in Miami, and the third is set for October 22 in Nashville. As per the statement issued by the White House physician Sean Conley, not everything seems to be "great". For now, Conley has given Trump a single dose of Regeneron's antibody cocktail, a treatment undergoing clinical trials but not yet approved by regulators. "He's being evaluated by a team of experts, and together we'll be making recommendations to the President and First Lady in regards to next best steps," Conley wrote.

Trump airlifted to military hospital for COVID treatment; releases video message

In the run up to the November 3 presidential election, US President Donald Trump mocked Democratic challenger Joe Biden for months for his cautious approach to the coronavirus.

As Biden remained isolated in his Delaware home in the early months of the virus crisis, Trump called him "Sleepy Joe" and said he was "hiding" in his basement -- a charge that his supporters lapped up and repeated ad infinitum.

During Tuesday's chaotic presidential debate, Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask at his events, even when he is far away from other people.

But on Friday, it was Trump who was forced to remain in his home, quarantining after his positive diagnosis. His doctor said he was "fatigued" but in "good spirits."

Trump's diagnosis is likely to reinforce Biden's message about the president's failed response to the disease, which has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States, and undermine Trump's argument that the end of the pandemic is in sight. Polls show voters trust Biden to handle the coronavirus more than Trump.

The vice-president and his wife had also taken a coronavirus test -- whose result came out negative.

Biden then had the proverbial last laugh. He had the campaign stage of Michigan to himself a month before Election Day.

He on Friday said that Trump's coronavirus diagnosis showed the importance of taking the pandemic seriously, telling Americans that wearing masks is more important than being a "tough guy."

The remarks served as an implicit criticism of the Republican president. Trump has played down the deadliness of the virus for months, frequently eschews masks and has held huge campaign rallies with little social distancing.

At a union hall in Grand Rapids, Biden said he and his wife, Jill Biden, were praying that Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, had a swift and full recovery. He delivered the entire speech while wearing a blue medical mask, a departure from prior events where he typically took off his mask before speaking.

"This is not a matter of politics," Biden said. "It's a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It's not going away automatically."

Biden urged all Americans to follow scientific guidelines, including wearing masks, washing hands frequently and staying 6 feet (1.83 m) apart. Health officials, including the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield, have said masks are a crucial tool for slowing the spread of the virus.

"Be patriotic," Biden said. "It's not about being a tough guy. It`s about doing your part."

Michigan, which Trump narrowly won over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 but where Biden has led in most state polls, is a vital swing state in the election.

Biden leads Trump in national opinion polls, although surveys in the battleground states that will decide the contest show a closer race. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed Biden leading Trump by 5 percentage points among likely voters in Michigan.

With only 32 days to go before Election Day, Trump's campaign team announced Friday that his events would either be virtual or postponed until further notice.

Biden's running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, was to appear in Nevada on Friday. The 50-year-old, who did not attend Tuesday's debate, has so far tested negative.

"This virus is still very much active across our country, please continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing," she tweeted.

She is set to debate Vice-President Mike Pence on October 7.

The next presidential debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled for October 15, but it was not clear if that would take place.

It is, certainly, too soon to predict how Trump's diagnosis could impact the race for the White House, a tumultuous campaign already upended several times by history-making events.

(with inputs)

In the run up to the November 3 presidential election, US President Donald Trump mocked Democratic challenger Joe Biden for months for his cautious approach to the coronavirus.

In the run up to the November 3 presidential election, US President Donald Trump mocked Democratic challenger Joe Biden for months for his cautious approach to the coronavirus. As Biden remained isolated in his Delaware home in the early months of the virus crisis, Trump called him "Sleepy Joe" and said he was "hiding" in his basement -- a charge that his supporters lapped up and repeated ad infinitum. During Tuesday's chaotic presidential debate, Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask at his events, even when he is far away from other people. But on Friday, it was Trump who was forced to remain in his home, quarantining after his positive diagnosis. His doctor said he was "fatigued" but in "good spirits." Trump's diagnosis is likely to reinforce Biden's message about the president's failed response to the disease, which has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States, and undermine Trump's argument that the end of the pandemic is in sight. Polls show voters trust Biden to handle the coronavirus more than Trump. The vice-president and his wife had also taken a coronavirus test -- whose result came out negative. Biden then had the proverbial last laugh. He had the campaign stage of Michigan to himself a month before Election Day. He on Friday said that Trump's coronavirus diagnosis showed the importance of taking the pandemic seriously, telling Americans that wearing masks is more important than being a "tough guy." The remarks served as an implicit criticism of the Republican president. Trump has played down the deadliness of the virus for months, frequently eschews masks and has held huge campaign rallies with little social distancing. At a union hall in Grand Rapids, Biden said he and his wife, Jill Biden, were praying that Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, had a swift and full recovery. He delivered the entire speech while wearing a blue medical mask, a departure from prior events where he typically took off his mask before speaking. "This is not a matter of politics," Biden said. "It's a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It's not going away automatically." Biden urged all Americans to follow scientific guidelines, including wearing masks, washing hands frequently and staying 6 feet (1.83 m) apart. Health officials, including the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield, have said masks are a crucial tool for slowing the spread of the virus. "Be patriotic," Biden said. "It's not about being a tough guy. It`s about doing your part." Michigan, which Trump narrowly won over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 but where Biden has led in most state polls, is a vital swing state in the election. Biden leads Trump in national opinion polls, although surveys in the battleground states that will decide the contest show a closer race. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed Biden leading Trump by 5 percentage points among likely voters in Michigan. With only 32 days to go before Election Day, Trump's campaign team announced Friday that his events would either be virtual or postponed until further notice. Biden's running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, was to appear in Nevada on Friday. The 50-year-old, who did not attend Tuesday's debate, has so far tested negative. "This virus is still very much active across our country, please continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing," she tweeted. She is set to debate Vice-President Mike Pence on October 7. The next presidential debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled for October 15, but it was not clear if that would take place. It is, certainly, too soon to predict how Trump's diagnosis could impact the race for the White House, a tumultuous campaign already upended several times by history-making events. (with inputs)

Biden, once mocked by Trump, now has the proverbial last laugh

According to CNN, US President Donald Trump is reportedly having trouble breathing and is very fatigued. Whereas the White house doctor said that Trump is doing very well & didn't need supplement oxygen.

CNN: Donald Trump having 'trouble breathing'; White house yet to confirm claim

According to CNN, US President Donald Trump is reportedly having trouble breathing and is very fatigued. According to reports, the US president's condition seemed to be 'serious' as he spent his first night in hospital after testing positive for Coronavirus.

Donald Trump is having trouble in breathing & is very fatigued: Reports

The No Mask President: How Trump spent the week just before contracting the virus

A coronavirus outbreak that infected President Donald Trump and spread to the Senate threw a fresh element of uncertainty Friday into the politically fraught fight over installing Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court before Election Day, as Republicans vowed to press ahead and Democrats insisted on a pause.

Pulling off a complex confirmation that touches all three branches of government in the four weeks remaining before the election always promised to be a daunting task for Republicans in the middle of a pandemic. But by Friday evening, with the White House and Congress in turmoil and two Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, among those announcing they had tested positive for the virus, it was clear that the challenge had grown steeper.

Top Republicans insisted they would move ahead at an uncommonly swift pace to hold hearings on Barrett’s nomination by Oct. 12, send her nomination to the full Senate by Oct. 22 and confirm her as soon as Oct. 26, eight days before Election Day — even if it meant breaking Senate norms and considering a lifetime judicial nomination by videoconference.

But the latest outbreak raised the possibility that Republicans could lose their slim majority in the Judiciary Committee or on the Senate floor.

It gave Democrats, who were already objecting to Trump’s push to install a new Supreme Court justice so close to the election, a new reason to call for a delay. Seeing a potential opening, top Democrats called for the Senate to pause and assess the scope of the outbreak.

They declared that a fully virtual hearing for a candidate for a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court would be unacceptable.

“It’s critical that Chairman Graham put the health of senators, the nominee and staff first — and ensure a full and fair hearing that is not rushed, not truncated and not virtual,” Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, and Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a joint statement. “Otherwise, this already illegitimate process will become a dangerous one.”

On Friday evening, after Tillis announced his positive test result, Schumer renewed his call for delay, writing on Twitter that going forward with hearings would be “irresponsible and dangerous.”

“There is absolutely no good reason to do so,” he said.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chair of the panel, vowed he would stick to his schedule, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, said he intended to move the nomination as soon as the committee approved it.

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“Just finished a great phone call with @POTUS,” McConnell wrote on Twitter on Friday. “He’s in good spirits and we talked business — especially how impressed Senators are with the qualifications of Judge Barrett. Full steam ahead with the fair, thorough, timely process that the nominee, the Court, &amp;amp; the country deserve.”

Republican officials said they had no doubt that senators would find a way to muscle through the nomination over Democrats’ protests.

But Republicans cannot afford to have many members sidelined by illness, which could provide Democrats an opportunity to stall the proceedings. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have already raised objections to moving ahead before the election, reducing the wiggle room in the 53-47 Republican majority.

McConnell has insisted throughout the pandemic that the Senate continue to meet in person, but he conceded Friday that keeping Republican senators healthy was crucial to the fate of the nomination.

“I think every precaution needs to be taken because we don’t anticipate any Democratic support at all, either in committee or the full Senate, and therefore everybody needs to be in an all-hands-on-deck mindset,” he said in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

The posturing around the court fight played out as government officials at the White House and on Capitol Hill spent Friday racing to trace those who had come in contact with known carriers of the virus to determine how far it had spread.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-having-trouble-breathing-at-hospital-report-332269">Trump having 'trouble breathing' at hospital: Report</a>

Trump was in proximity to Barrett when he announced her nomination in the Rose Garden a week ago at a well-attended celebration where few masks or other precautions were evident.

At least two other high-profile attendees, the Rev. John Jenkins, the president of the University of Notre Dame, and Kellyanne Conway, a former White House counselor, said Friday that they had also tested positive.

Lee and Tillis were among at least eight Republican senators present at the White House event, where some guests also gathered indoors and where video captured Lee hugging other attendees without a mask. Tillis wore a mask.

Both men are on the Judiciary Committee and met with Barrett on Capitol Hill this week indoors, without masks, as did more than a dozen others. Tillis’ office released a photograph of the senator and the nominee bumping elbows.

Both senators said they felt fine but would isolate for 10 days, placing them on track to reemerge on the day Graham intends to begin Barrett’s hearing.

Other lawmakers who had been in proximity to Trump or his aides said they were getting tested. Among them were Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who all announced they had tested negative.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/even-the-white-houses-testing-regime-couldnt-stop-coronavirus-332226">Even the White House’s testing regime couldn’t stop coronavirus</a>

Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, who flew with the president on Air Force One from Washington to a campaign rally in Duluth, also said they were being tested.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, flew to the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday on Air Force One with the president and Hope Hicks, a close aide to Trump who tested positive Thursday. Jordan announced Friday that he had tested negative.

Concerns about the outbreak appeared to lead to a change in Congress’s much-maligned approach to testing the thousands of people who stream in and out of the Capitol complex each week, many of them flying in from around the country.

The Office of the Attending Physician informed lawmakers Friday that same-day testing would now be offered in the Capitol to lawmakers who showed possible coronavirus symptoms or had been exposed to someone who had tested positive. Staff members who came into contact with someone who tested positive could also get tests, the office said.

The announcement came after Schumer had expressed deepened anxiety about the health outlook in the Capitol after Trump’s positive test.

“This episode demonstrates that the Senate needs a testing and contact-tracing program for senators, staff and all who work in the Capitol complex,” Schumer said. “We simply cannot allow the administration’s cavalier attitude to adversely affect this branch of government.

It is imperative that all results be made public in order to contain a possible outbreak and so we can determine the need for senators and staff to quarantine or self-isolate.”

Fresh fears about the spread of the virus only stiffened resistance to Barrett’s nomination among Democrats, who were already outraged that Republicans were racing to confirm a Supreme Court justice so close to the election after having blocked President Barack Obama from filling a vacancy nine months before Election Day in 2016.

But with Trump’s reelection in doubt and their party in danger of losing its Senate majority, Republicans are even more eager to confirm the nominee quickly.

They have insisted they are justified in moving ahead with the nomination because Trump was elected in 2016 and Republicans gained seats in the Senate in 2018, an argument that would be undercut by losses in November.

Some Republican advisers were pushing to scrap plans to keep the Senate in session next week, hoping to reduce the risk of more Republican senators becoming infected.

But adjourning may not be in McConnell’s control. He had been in favor of allowing senators to go home, but Democrats trying to inflict pain on Republicans for their rush to fill the Supreme Court seat refused to go along, using parliamentary tactics to prevent it.

As for Barrett, two officials with knowledge of her medical history said that she had already had the coronavirus and recovered this year, potentially providing some immunity for her. But it was not yet clear whether she would continue her courtesy meetings with senators in person next week.

She tested negative for the virus Friday, officials said.

A coronavirus outbreak that infected President Donald Trump and spread to the Senate threw a fresh element of uncertainty Friday into the politically fraught fight over installing Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court before Election Day, as Republicans vowed to press ahead and Democrats insisted on a pause.

A coronavirus outbreak that infected President Donald Trump and spread to the Senate threw a fresh element of uncertainty Friday into the politically fraught fight over installing Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court before Election Day, as Republicans vowed to press ahead and Democrats insisted on a pause. Pulling off a complex confirmation that touches all three branches of government in the four weeks remaining before the election always promised to be a daunting task for Republicans in the middle of a pandemic. But by Friday evening, with the White House and Congress in turmoil and two Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, among those announcing they had tested positive for the virus, it was clear that the challenge had grown steeper. Top Republicans insisted they would move ahead at an uncommonly swift pace to hold hearings on Barrett’s nomination by Oct. 12, send her nomination to the full Senate by Oct. 22 and confirm her as soon as Oct. 26, eight days before Election Day — even if it meant breaking Senate norms and considering a lifetime judicial nomination by videoconference. But the latest outbreak raised the possibility that Republicans could lose their slim majority in the Judiciary Committee or on the Senate floor. It gave Democrats, who were already objecting to Trump’s push to install a new Supreme Court justice so close to the election, a new reason to call for a delay. Seeing a potential opening, top Democrats called for the Senate to pause and assess the scope of the outbreak. They declared that a fully virtual hearing for a candidate for a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court would be unacceptable. “It’s critical that Chairman Graham put the health of senators, the nominee and staff first — and ensure a full and fair hearing that is not rushed, not truncated and not virtual,” Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, and Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a joint statement. “Otherwise, this already illegitimate process will become a dangerous one.” On Friday evening, after Tillis announced his positive test result, Schumer renewed his call for delay, writing on Twitter that going forward with hearings would be “irresponsible and dangerous.” “There is absolutely no good reason to do so,” he said. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chair of the panel, vowed he would stick to his schedule, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, said he intended to move the nomination as soon as the committee approved it. × “Just finished a great phone call with @POTUS,” McConnell wrote on Twitter on Friday. “He’s in good spirits and we talked business — especially how impressed Senators are with the qualifications of Judge Barrett. Full steam ahead with the fair, thorough, timely process that the nominee, the Court, &amp; the country deserve.” Republican officials said they had no doubt that senators would find a way to muscle through the nomination over Democrats’ protests. But Republicans cannot afford to have many members sidelined by illness, which could provide Democrats an opportunity to stall the proceedings. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have already raised objections to moving ahead before the election, reducing the wiggle room in the 53-47 Republican majority. McConnell has insisted throughout the pandemic that the Senate continue to meet in person, but he conceded Friday that keeping Republican senators healthy was crucial to the fate of the nomination. “I think every precaution needs to be taken because we don’t anticipate any Democratic support at all, either in committee or the full Senate, and therefore everybody needs to be in an all-hands-on-deck mindset,” he said in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. The posturing around the court fight played out as government officials at the White House and on Capitol Hill spent Friday racing to trace those who had come in contact with known carriers of the virus to determine how far it had spread. Also Read | Trump having 'trouble breathing' at hospital: Report Trump was in proximity to Barrett when he announced her nomination in the Rose Garden a week ago at a well-attended celebration where few masks or other precautions were evident. At least two other high-profile attendees, the Rev. John Jenkins, the president of the University of Notre Dame, and Kellyanne Conway, a former White House counselor, said Friday that they had also tested positive. Lee and Tillis were among at least eight Republican senators present at the White House event, where some guests also gathered indoors and where video captured Lee hugging other attendees without a mask. Tillis wore a mask. Both men are on the Judiciary Committee and met with Barrett on Capitol Hill this week indoors, without masks, as did more than a dozen others. Tillis’ office released a photograph of the senator and the nominee bumping elbows. Both senators said they felt fine but would isolate for 10 days, placing them on track to reemerge on the day Graham intends to begin Barrett’s hearing. Other lawmakers who had been in proximity to Trump or his aides said they were getting tested. Among them were Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who all announced they had tested negative. Also Read | Even the White House’s testing regime couldn’t stop coronavirus Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, who flew with the president on Air Force One from Washington to a campaign rally in Duluth, also said they were being tested. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, flew to the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday on Air Force One with the president and Hope Hicks, a close aide to Trump who tested positive Thursday. Jordan announced Friday that he had tested negative. Concerns about the outbreak appeared to lead to a change in Congress’s much-maligned approach to testing the thousands of people who stream in and out of the Capitol complex each week, many of them flying in from around the country. The Office of the Attending Physician informed lawmakers Friday that same-day testing would now be offered in the Capitol to lawmakers who showed possible coronavirus symptoms or had been exposed to someone who had tested positive. Staff members who came into contact with someone who tested positive could also get tests, the office said. The announcement came after Schumer had expressed deepened anxiety about the health outlook in the Capitol after Trump’s positive test. “This episode demonstrates that the Senate needs a testing and contact-tracing program for senators, staff and all who work in the Capitol complex,” Schumer said. “We simply cannot allow the administration’s cavalier attitude to adversely affect this branch of government. It is imperative that all results be made public in order to contain a possible outbreak and so we can determine the need for senators and staff to quarantine or self-isolate.” Fresh fears about the spread of the virus only stiffened resistance to Barrett’s nomination among Democrats, who were already outraged that Republicans were racing to confirm a Supreme Court justice so close to the election after having blocked President Barack Obama from filling a vacancy nine months before Election Day in 2016. But with Trump’s reelection in doubt and their party in danger of losing its Senate majority, Republicans are even more eager to confirm the nominee quickly. They have insisted they are justified in moving ahead with the nomination because Trump was elected in 2016 and Republicans gained seats in the Senate in 2018, an argument that would be undercut by losses in November. Some Republican advisers were pushing to scrap plans to keep the Senate in session next week, hoping to reduce the risk of more Republican senators becoming infected. But adjourning may not be in McConnell’s control. He had been in favor of allowing senators to go home, but Democrats trying to inflict pain on Republicans for their rush to fill the Supreme Court seat refused to go along, using parliamentary tactics to prevent it. As for Barrett, two officials with knowledge of her medical history said that she had already had the coronavirus and recovered this year, potentially providing some immunity for her. But it was not yet clear whether she would continue her courtesy meetings with senators in person next week. She tested negative for the virus Friday, officials said.

Trump’s diagnosis imperils quick Supreme Court confirmation timeline

Just two short days before Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, several of my New York Times colleagues published a story about the early days of the pandemic, and the strong global public health consensus at the time that open borders and free movement of peoples should not be suspended, even in the face of a swiftly spreading virus.

“The policy of unobstructed travel was never based on hard science,” the story notes. “It was a political decision, recast as health advice,” that for a public-health community committed to cosmopolitan ideals had become “an article of faith.”

The story was a reminder of a point I’ve tried to make in these pages before: For all of our president’s conspicuous failures in combating the virus that he is now battling — God willing, successfully — himself, it’s not at all obvious that a different president, one who just listened to the science&nbsp;and followed the experts, would have taken the strong early steps that might have actually suppressed the virus and prevented it from becoming endemic on our shores. By the time the experts had caught up to the realities of COVID-19, by the time they were ready to endorse the travel restrictions that their faith catechized against and the mask-wearing that they initially dismissed, a certain scale of disaster was probably already guaranteed.

Many people don’t like this argument because it’s seen as a way of letting Trump off the hook. But there’s another way of looking at it, which is that while Trump’s early failures weren’t necessarily worse than our hypothetical “just listen to the experts” president, they were arguably more culpable and tragic — precisely because Trump himself was not&nbsp;a believer in what one expert quoted in my colleagues’ story calls “the religion of global health.”

Instead, he had a worldview that the cosmopolitan community considered archaic and dangerous — a worldview that emphasized national borders, played up foreign threats and treated travel bans and immigration restrictions as essential tools of state. He also had certain personal tendencies, like his famous germaphobia, that would presumably have made him favorable to masking and social distancing at a time when the expert of experts, Dr. Anthony Fauci, was still dismissing mask wearing and telling healthy Americans that it was safe to take a cruise.

In other words, Trump, much more than a typical president, was ideologically and personally well-positioned to get out ahead of the experts, to break early with their church-of-cosmopolitanism assumptions and to set an example of extreme caution long before that became the official wisdom — even to “own the libs,” if you will, by taking steps that would have been denounced as authoritarianism in late February and then recognized as wisdom by late March.

He did take one step in that direction, imposing the travel ban on China that he now boasts about, at a time when the church of public health considered it a useless act of xenophobia. But the restrictions he imposed weren’t particularly comprehensive, and from then on he was late to every other opportunity where early or draconian action might have made a difference — heeding the conservatives who minimized the virus rather than the right-wing faction (including figures like Peter Navarro in his own White House) that sounded the alarm early and choosing to make himself the face, quite literally, of a more insouciant approach.

In other words, given a series of crucial choices — whether to heed his nationalist and protectionist impulses or his “don’t spook the stock market” biases, whether to listen to his germaphobia or his apparent fear of looking unmanly in a mask — he consistently chose wrongly when he could have chosen wisely. He went by his own choices&nbsp;from being a president who had an unique historical opportunity to vindicate his professed worldview to a president who is now infected with the very virus that is dooming his reelection bid.

One of the tics of Twitter in this strange and deadly year is a tendency to anthropomorphize the year itself (“Oh, 2020, what else do you have in store for us?”) or to make jokes about the TV writer’s room that’s supposedly responsible for our series of unfortunate events.

Many of the people making those jokes don’t believe that history really has an Author. But I do. And the aspects of our circumstances that seem ridiculously scripted to the atheist are, for religious believers, a reason to meditate on what is being revealed, how we’re being tested and what lessons and examples we can draw from watching tragedies unfold.

Our president does not, to put it mildly, resemble the tragic heroes familiar from Aeschylus or Shakespeare. But he has a little more in common with some of the flawed, arrogant, appetitive figures from the Hebrew Bible — figures who are given opportunities to do something important in spite of their flaws, who are placed at crucial turning points in history notwithstanding their weaknesses and sins and who have the capacity to achieve things that amaze the wise and powerful.

In Trump’s arc in 2020, it’s possible to see a more tragic version of these kind of biblical narratives, in which Providence grants a flawed old sinner a unique chance at heroism, even greatness — and he chooses badly, and lets it pass him by.

The president’s coronavirus diagnosis bends that tragic arc a little further. The idea that an illness and speedy recovery might help him win reelection on a wave of sympathy seems — well, let’s just call it unlikely. Rather, his illness just seems to emphasize that we’re inside the falling action of the play, the working out of choices and themes that were established months ago.

You can’t pray to a writer’s room, but you can pray to God. And so we should pray for the president’s swift recovery, that all those infected around him recover soon as well, and that the falling action of 2020’s drama would spare as many lives as possible.

But to pray is also — inherently — to behave as though life isn’t just one accident after another, as though narrative lines in history actually exist, as though our choices are woven into patterns and not just left to unspool randomly. And the president’s affliction, in this sense, is woven intimately into the larger story of 2020 and his administration’s rendezvous with pestilence — a story whose might-have-beens could have redeemed his vices, but whose realities have sealed his presidency’s transformation from a dark farce into a tragedy.

Just two short days before Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, several of my New York Times colleagues published a story about the early days of the pandemic, and the strong global public health consensus at the time that open borders and free movement of peoples should not be suspended, even in the face of a swiftly spreading virus.

Just two short days before Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, several of my New York Times colleagues published a story about the early days of the pandemic, and the strong global public health consensus at the time that open borders and free movement of peoples should not be suspended, even in the face of a swiftly spreading virus. “The policy of unobstructed travel was never based on hard science,” the story notes. “It was a political decision, recast as health advice,” that for a public-health community committed to cosmopolitan ideals had become “an article of faith.” The story was a reminder of a point I’ve tried to make in these pages before: For all of our president’s conspicuous failures in combating the virus that he is now battling — God willing, successfully — himself, it’s not at all obvious that a different president, one who just listened to the science and followed the experts, would have taken the strong early steps that might have actually suppressed the virus and prevented it from becoming endemic on our shores. By the time the experts had caught up to the realities of COVID-19, by the time they were ready to endorse the travel restrictions that their faith catechized against and the mask-wearing that they initially dismissed, a certain scale of disaster was probably already guaranteed. Many people don’t like this argument because it’s seen as a way of letting Trump off the hook. But there’s another way of looking at it, which is that while Trump’s early failures weren’t necessarily worse than our hypothetical “just listen to the experts” president, they were arguably more culpable and tragic — precisely because Trump himself was not a believer in what one expert quoted in my colleagues’ story calls “the religion of global health.” Instead, he had a worldview that the cosmopolitan community considered archaic and dangerous — a worldview that emphasized national borders, played up foreign threats and treated travel bans and immigration restrictions as essential tools of state. He also had certain personal tendencies, like his famous germaphobia, that would presumably have made him favorable to masking and social distancing at a time when the expert of experts, Dr. Anthony Fauci, was still dismissing mask wearing and telling healthy Americans that it was safe to take a cruise. In other words, Trump, much more than a typical president, was ideologically and personally well-positioned to get out ahead of the experts, to break early with their church-of-cosmopolitanism assumptions and to set an example of extreme caution long before that became the official wisdom — even to “own the libs,” if you will, by taking steps that would have been denounced as authoritarianism in late February and then recognized as wisdom by late March. He did take one step in that direction, imposing the travel ban on China that he now boasts about, at a time when the church of public health considered it a useless act of xenophobia. But the restrictions he imposed weren’t particularly comprehensive, and from then on he was late to every other opportunity where early or draconian action might have made a difference — heeding the conservatives who minimized the virus rather than the right-wing faction (including figures like Peter Navarro in his own White House) that sounded the alarm early and choosing to make himself the face, quite literally, of a more insouciant approach. In other words, given a series of crucial choices — whether to heed his nationalist and protectionist impulses or his “don’t spook the stock market” biases, whether to listen to his germaphobia or his apparent fear of looking unmanly in a mask — he consistently chose wrongly when he could have chosen wisely. He went by his own choices from being a president who had an unique historical opportunity to vindicate his professed worldview to a president who is now infected with the very virus that is dooming his reelection bid. One of the tics of Twitter in this strange and deadly year is a tendency to anthropomorphize the year itself (“Oh, 2020, what else do you have in store for us?”) or to make jokes about the TV writer’s room that’s supposedly responsible for our series of unfortunate events. Many of the people making those jokes don’t believe that history really has an Author. But I do. And the aspects of our circumstances that seem ridiculously scripted to the atheist are, for religious believers, a reason to meditate on what is being revealed, how we’re being tested and what lessons and examples we can draw from watching tragedies unfold. Our president does not, to put it mildly, resemble the tragic heroes familiar from Aeschylus or Shakespeare. But he has a little more in common with some of the flawed, arrogant, appetitive figures from the Hebrew Bible — figures who are given opportunities to do something important in spite of their flaws, who are placed at crucial turning points in history notwithstanding their weaknesses and sins and who have the capacity to achieve things that amaze the wise and powerful. In Trump’s arc in 2020, it’s possible to see a more tragic version of these kind of biblical narratives, in which Providence grants a flawed old sinner a unique chance at heroism, even greatness — and he chooses badly, and lets it pass him by. The president’s coronavirus diagnosis bends that tragic arc a little further. The idea that an illness and speedy recovery might help him win reelection on a wave of sympathy seems — well, let’s just call it unlikely. Rather, his illness just seems to emphasize that we’re inside the falling action of the play, the working out of choices and themes that were established months ago. You can’t pray to a writer’s room, but you can pray to God. And so we should pray for the president’s swift recovery, that all those infected around him recover soon as well, and that the falling action of 2020’s drama would spare as many lives as possible. But to pray is also — inherently — to behave as though life isn’t just one accident after another, as though narrative lines in history actually exist, as though our choices are woven into patterns and not just left to unspool randomly. And the president’s affliction, in this sense, is woven intimately into the larger story of 2020 and his administration’s rendezvous with pestilence — a story whose might-have-beens could have redeemed his vices, but whose realities have sealed his presidency’s transformation from a dark farce into a tragedy.

The tragedy of Donald Trump

Medical specialists have decided to start Remdesivir therapy for President Donald Trump. Antibody drug is being used for treating a wide range of illness. Trump is also taking Zine, Vitamin D, and a daily aspirin.

Physicians decided to start Remdesivir therapy for Trump

As US President Donald <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-to-remove-content-that-wishes-trumps-death-by-covid-reports-332183">Trump</a>,74, was admitted in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday after getting infected with coronavirus, reports said the president was having "trouble breathing".

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://13.235.153.162/videos/chinas-1st-reaction-as-trump-tests-positive-332148/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to American TV news network CNN, Trump is having "trouble breathing". CNN in its report said the president is feeling "very, very fatigued", according to a campaign source.

"I think I'm doing very well, but we're going to make sure that things work out," Trump had said earlier in a &nbsp;video message on Twitter. There are other members in the White House who have also contacted the virus after Trump infected on Friday including former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and Republican Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-airlifted-to-military-hospital-for-covid-treatment-releases-video-message-332132">Also Read:&nbsp;Trump airlifted to military hospital for COVID treatment; releases video message</a>

Meanwhile, According to Global Times, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy to the US President and First Lady Melania Trump on Saturday in which he and his wife Peng Liyuan hoped the presidential couple make an early recovery from COVID-19.

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had said that Trump "will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days" even as White House physician Sean Conley said that the president was "fatigued but in good spirits".

McEnany said the US President was receiving anti-viral drug remdesivir after consultation with specialists. The president was "not requiring any supplemental oxygen," she added in a statement.

According to the US health agency CDC, as a 74-year-old man, Trump is "at higher risk for severe illness".

As US President Donald Trump,74, was admitted in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday after getting infected with coronavirus, reports said the president was having "trouble breathing".

As US President Donald Trump,74, was admitted in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday after getting infected with coronavirus, reports said the president was having "trouble breathing". Watch: According to American TV news network CNN, Trump is having "trouble breathing". CNN in its report said the president is feeling "very, very fatigued", according to a campaign source. "I think I'm doing very well, but we're going to make sure that things work out," Trump had said earlier in a video message on Twitter. There are other members in the White House who have also contacted the virus after Trump infected on Friday including former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and Republican Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis. Also Read: Trump airlifted to military hospital for COVID treatment; releases video message Meanwhile, According to Global Times, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy to the US President and First Lady Melania Trump on Saturday in which he and his wife Peng Liyuan hoped the presidential couple make an early recovery from COVID-19. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had said that Trump "will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days" even as White House physician Sean Conley said that the president was "fatigued but in good spirits". McEnany said the US President was receiving anti-viral drug remdesivir after consultation with specialists. The president was "not requiring any supplemental oxygen," she added in a statement. According to the US health agency CDC, as a 74-year-old man, Trump is "at higher risk for severe illness".

Trump having 'trouble breathing' at hospital: Report

Aaron E. Carroll is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. He is a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute who blogs on health research and policy at The Incidental Economist and makes videos at Healthcare Triage. He is the author of “The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully.”

The president has been infected with coronavirus. Schadenfreude is inappropriate. This is, however, a good opportunity for leaders to rethink their current policies and rhetoric on prevention — because what the president’s case highlights are the limitations of even the best testing regimes.

The president is tested for coronavirus every day. While the C.D.C. reports the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/faq.html">incubation period</a>&nbsp;can be two to 14 days, it usually appears to be somewhere between three and five days after exposure. Given that President Trump tested positive on Thursday, he was most likely infected sometime between Saturday and Monday. We are usually concerned about a sick person being able to spread infections to others for <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/investigating-covid-19-case.html">up to two days</a>&nbsp;before symptoms began or a test was positive. Therefore, the president might have been infectious to others as early as Tuesday. He probably interacted with many, many people&nbsp;in this time frame; likewise for Melania Trump and Hope Hicks.

The three of them will now need to isolate for at least 10 days. All of the people who were in close contact with them — and by close contact, I mean spent 15 minutes within six feet of them — will have to quarantine for two weeks, because they are at significantly increased risk of being infected themselves and infecting others. If any of them later test positive or show symptoms, they need to isolate for 10 days from that time.

This, in other words, is going to be a contact tracing fiasco — one that could easily shut down the White House.

Many, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/opinion/coronavirus-testing-antigen-pooling.html">including me</a>, have called for more testing for all. But what happened with Ms. Hicks and the president illustrates that testing doesn’t matter unless you close the infection loop with other interventions.

The president and the White House benefit from what is arguably the most rigorous coronavirus testing in the country. In the past, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/21/trump-tested-coronavirus-multiple-times-day-375957">the White House has claimed</a>&nbsp;that Mr. Trump is tested multiple times a day, and is the most tested man in the country.

Screening people without symptoms finds those who are infectious and gets them into quarantine and isolation earlier. But this doesn’t serve any purpose unless you’re also pairing this screening with careful behavior. Even if the infections of the president and others were discovered during regular screening, they still had a huge number of contacts; it’s still a disaster. If you’re going to lead a life where you could theoretically infect hundreds of people or more a day, slightly earlier knowledge doesn’t matter that much.

The most testing, the most advanced technology, and the best health care are simply not sufficient when it comes to this disease. What’s necessary are simple public health measures, like distancing, masking, washing hands and spending as little time as possible close together indoors in the same room. The key to slowing down the spread of coronavirus infections is to have few, if any, close contacts. There’s just no getting around it.

Unfortunately, this has not been the message coming out of the White House for some time. At the debate this week, the president ridiculed Joe Biden for wearing a mask too often. In remarks delivered Thursday night, Mr. Trump said that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-campaign.html">the end of the pandemic is in sight</a>.”

Many leaders at a variety of levels across the country have been following his lead in arguing that things are heading in the right direction, and that it’s perfectly fine to loosen restrictions. Politicians are meeting with large groups of people, indoors, with no masks and no respect for social distancing. Bars are opening. People gather for weddings and other occasions, acting as if there is no risk, the danger has passed, and everything is going to be OK.

They should seriously reconsider.

This is a disease where prevention matters most, and that’s where we need to sink our resources. It’s also what leaders need to promote, not ignore or debase.

It’s unsafe to hold crowded events. It’s unsafe to speak or shout without a mask, in indoor environments, for long periods of time. It’s unsafe to mingle, to hang out close together, and to gather in person when you could do so remotely. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/opinion/coronavirus-precautions.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;this will still be the case for some time">And, even if we manage to scale up our testing regime significantly.</a>

This is clearly not a time to celebrate or gloat. I hope everyone recovers quickly and easily. This news should serve as a reminder of how easily transmitted this disease is, how serious it can be, and how much education we still need to do to overcome misinformation. It is very difficult, and perhaps unwise, to regulate some behaviors. When that’s the case, it’s up to leaders to lead, both by words and examples.

Aaron E. Carroll is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. He is a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute who blogs on health research and policy at The Incidental Economist and makes videos at Healthcare Triage.

Aaron E. Carroll is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. He is a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute who blogs on health research and policy at The Incidental Economist and makes videos at Healthcare Triage. He is the author of “The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully.” The president has been infected with coronavirus. Schadenfreude is inappropriate. This is, however, a good opportunity for leaders to rethink their current policies and rhetoric on prevention — because what the president’s case highlights are the limitations of even the best testing regimes. The president is tested for coronavirus every day. While the C.D.C. reports the incubation period can be two to 14 days, it usually appears to be somewhere between three and five days after exposure. Given that President Trump tested positive on Thursday, he was most likely infected sometime between Saturday and Monday. We are usually concerned about a sick person being able to spread infections to others for up to two days before symptoms began or a test was positive. Therefore, the president might have been infectious to others as early as Tuesday. He probably interacted with many, many people in this time frame; likewise for Melania Trump and Hope Hicks. The three of them will now need to isolate for at least 10 days. All of the people who were in close contact with them — and by close contact, I mean spent 15 minutes within six feet of them — will have to quarantine for two weeks, because they are at significantly increased risk of being infected themselves and infecting others. If any of them later test positive or show symptoms, they need to isolate for 10 days from that time. This, in other words, is going to be a contact tracing fiasco — one that could easily shut down the White House. Many, including me, have called for more testing for all. But what happened with Ms. Hicks and the president illustrates that testing doesn’t matter unless you close the infection loop with other interventions. The president and the White House benefit from what is arguably the most rigorous coronavirus testing in the country. In the past, the White House has claimed that Mr. Trump is tested multiple times a day, and is the most tested man in the country. Screening people without symptoms finds those who are infectious and gets them into quarantine and isolation earlier. But this doesn’t serve any purpose unless you’re also pairing this screening with careful behavior. Even if the infections of the president and others were discovered during regular screening, they still had a huge number of contacts; it’s still a disaster. If you’re going to lead a life where you could theoretically infect hundreds of people or more a day, slightly earlier knowledge doesn’t matter that much. The most testing, the most advanced technology, and the best health care are simply not sufficient when it comes to this disease. What’s necessary are simple public health measures, like distancing, masking, washing hands and spending as little time as possible close together indoors in the same room. The key to slowing down the spread of coronavirus infections is to have few, if any, close contacts. There’s just no getting around it. Unfortunately, this has not been the message coming out of the White House for some time. At the debate this week, the president ridiculed Joe Biden for wearing a mask too often. In remarks delivered Thursday night, Mr. Trump said that the end of the pandemic is in sight.” Many leaders at a variety of levels across the country have been following his lead in arguing that things are heading in the right direction, and that it’s perfectly fine to loosen restrictions. Politicians are meeting with large groups of people, indoors, with no masks and no respect for social distancing. Bars are opening. People gather for weddings and other occasions, acting as if there is no risk, the danger has passed, and everything is going to be OK. They should seriously reconsider. This is a disease where prevention matters most, and that’s where we need to sink our resources. It’s also what leaders need to promote, not ignore or debase. It’s unsafe to hold crowded events. It’s unsafe to speak or shout without a mask, in indoor environments, for long periods of time. It’s unsafe to mingle, to hang out close together, and to gather in person when you could do so remotely. And, even if we manage to scale up our testing regime significantly. This is clearly not a time to celebrate or gloat. I hope everyone recovers quickly and easily. This news should serve as a reminder of how easily transmitted this disease is, how serious it can be, and how much education we still need to do to overcome misinformation. It is very difficult, and perhaps unwise, to regulate some behaviors. When that’s the case, it’s up to leaders to lead, both by words and examples.

Even the White House’s testing regime couldn’t stop coronavirus

News of President Donald Trump`s COVID-19 diagnosis has upended the U.S. presidential election campaign entering its final month and roiled stock markets, raising questions about succession and prompting White House aides to insist that Trump would keep a busy, if modified, schedule.

Hope Hicks, a close advisor to the president who often traveled with him on the Air Force One and Marine One presidential aircraft, had tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus on Thursday.

After Trump tweeted he and his wife, Melania, tested positive for COVID-19 early Friday morning, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, who has had frequent contact with Trump, said she tested positive for the virus and was quarantined at home in Michigan.

Trump and some other Republicans have eschewed social distancing, mask wearing and other protocols health officials recommend to stop the spread of the virus.

Here are other White House and Trump campaign personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent months:

--&nbsp;Kellyanne Conway, a former counselor to&nbsp;Trump, on Friday said she had tested positive for COVID-19. "My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I`m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians," Conway tweeted.

-- U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O`Brien in late July. Before Trump`s infection, O`Brien was the highest-ranking administration official to test positive for the virus. O`Brien had mild COVID symptoms and returned to work on Aug. 4.

-- Katie Miller, spokeswoman to Mike Pence, wife of Stephen Miller, a Trump senior adviser, in early May, forcing Pence to slightly delay a Pence trip to Iowa.

-- Kimberly Guilfoyle, senior adviser to Trump campaign and girlfriend to Donald Trump Jr.

-- Tom Phillipson, the former acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers in early June. He told the Wall Street Journal of his infection after recovering and leaving the White House in late June

-- A member of the U.S. Navy who served as a personal valet to Trump tested positive in early May. The infection prompted daily tests for those working at the White House.

-- A U.S. Marine assigned to Trump`s helicopter squadron tested positive for the coronavirus in late July. The squadron transports Trump and other top officials from the White House aboard the Marine One helicopter.

-- A worker in a White House complex cafeteria tested positive in late July. The cafeteria is located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where some White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have offices.

News of President Donald Trump`s COVID-19 diagnosis has upended the U.S. presidential election campaign entering its final month and roiled stock markets, raising questions about succession and prompting White House aides to insist that Trump would keep a busy, if modified, schedule.

News of President Donald Trump`s COVID-19 diagnosis has upended the U.S. presidential election campaign entering its final month and roiled stock markets, raising questions about succession and prompting White House aides to insist that Trump would keep a busy, if modified, schedule. Hope Hicks, a close advisor to the president who often traveled with him on the Air Force One and Marine One presidential aircraft, had tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus on Thursday. After Trump tweeted he and his wife, Melania, tested positive for COVID-19 early Friday morning, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, who has had frequent contact with Trump, said she tested positive for the virus and was quarantined at home in Michigan. Trump and some other Republicans have eschewed social distancing, mask wearing and other protocols health officials recommend to stop the spread of the virus. Here are other White House and Trump campaign personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent months: -- Kellyanne Conway, a former counselor to Trump, on Friday said she had tested positive for COVID-19. "My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I`m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians," Conway tweeted. -- U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O`Brien in late July. Before Trump`s infection, O`Brien was the highest-ranking administration official to test positive for the virus. O`Brien had mild COVID symptoms and returned to work on Aug. 4. -- Katie Miller, spokeswoman to Mike Pence, wife of Stephen Miller, a Trump senior adviser, in early May, forcing Pence to slightly delay a Pence trip to Iowa. -- Kimberly Guilfoyle, senior adviser to Trump campaign and girlfriend to Donald Trump Jr. -- Tom Phillipson, the former acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers in early June. He told the Wall Street Journal of his infection after recovering and leaving the White House in late June -- A member of the U.S. Navy who served as a personal valet to Trump tested positive in early May. The infection prompted daily tests for those working at the White House. -- A U.S. Marine assigned to Trump`s helicopter squadron tested positive for the coronavirus in late July. The squadron transports Trump and other top officials from the White House aboard the Marine One helicopter. -- A worker in a White House complex cafeteria tested positive in late July. The cafeteria is located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where some White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have offices.

Here's a list of Trump WH, campaign staff who have tested positive for COVID-19

After downplaying risks, mocking masks & holding huge rallies, Donald Trump &Melania Trump, test positive for COVID-19. With just days to election, this news has pushed the politics & govt into a historic state of flux. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris & Vice President Mike Pence test negative. What next?

US Election 2020: Trump COVID-19 positive: What next?

The Trump campaign declares war on Commission of Presidential Debates over modification of rules for upcoming Presidential Debate 2020. Donald Trump declares himself winner of 1st debate. White House backs Trump over different moderator & candidate. Will the President adhere to new rules?

US Election 2020: The ultra-aggressive cross talk fallout

US President Donald Trump is not the only COVID denier who ended up testing positive for coronavirus there are two other world leaders. Watch Video

When COVID deniers caught the virus

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Boris Johnson played down the Wuhan Virus. But, all three leaders ended up testing positive for the Coronavirus. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how the horror unfolded for them.

Gravitas: 3 covid deniers, who tested positive

COVID-19 might have made its way to the world via China and took the form of a pandemic, but the infodemic has surely been spreading in the United States, and perhaps, the world, courtesy President Donald Trump.

According to a new study from Cornell University, Trump is the world’s biggest spreader of coronavirus misinformation.

A team from the Cornell Alliance for Science evaluated 38 million articles published by English-language, traditional media worldwide between Jan 1 and May 26 of this year.

It was calculated that nearly 38 per cent of the “misinformation conversation” began with Trump doing things such as promoting unproven “miracle cures” for Covid-19 or claiming with zero evidence that the pandemic was a “Democratic Party hoax” aimed at derailing his presidency.

They&nbsp;tracked how the stories were shared on social media, finding that the posts elicited 36 million engagements, three-quarters of them on Facebook.&nbsp;The database they used aggregates coverage from countries such as the United States, Britain, India, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other African and Asian nations.

TRUMP'S MANY CLAIMS

The research&nbsp;identified 522,472 news articles that reproduced or amplified misinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic, or what the World Health Organisation has called the "infodemic".

These were categorised into 11 main sub-topics, ranging from conspiracy theories to attacks on top scientist Anthony Fauci to the idea that the virus is a bioweapon unleashed by China.

The most popular topic by far was what the study authors termed "miracle cures", which appeared in 295,351 articles - more than the other 10 topics combined.

The authors found that comments by President Trump drove major spikes in the "miracle cures" topic, led by his April 24 press briefing where he mused on the possibility of using disinfectants inside the body to cure the coronavirus.

Similar spikes were seen when he promoted unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine.

(with inputs)

COVID-19 might have made its way to the world via China and took the form of a pandemic, but the infodemic has surely been spreading in the United States, and perhaps, the world, courtesy President Donald Trump.

COVID-19 might have made its way to the world via China and took the form of a pandemic, but the infodemic has surely been spreading in the United States, and perhaps, the world, courtesy President Donald Trump. According to a new study from Cornell University, Trump is the world’s biggest spreader of coronavirus misinformation. A team from the Cornell Alliance for Science evaluated 38 million articles published by English-language, traditional media worldwide between Jan 1 and May 26 of this year. It was calculated that nearly 38 per cent of the “misinformation conversation” began with Trump doing things such as promoting unproven “miracle cures” for Covid-19 or claiming with zero evidence that the pandemic was a “Democratic Party hoax” aimed at derailing his presidency. They tracked how the stories were shared on social media, finding that the posts elicited 36 million engagements, three-quarters of them on Facebook. The database they used aggregates coverage from countries such as the United States, Britain, India, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other African and Asian nations. TRUMP'S MANY CLAIMS The research identified 522,472 news articles that reproduced or amplified misinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic, or what the World Health Organisation has called the "infodemic". These were categorised into 11 main sub-topics, ranging from conspiracy theories to attacks on top scientist Anthony Fauci to the idea that the virus is a bioweapon unleashed by China. The most popular topic by far was what the study authors termed "miracle cures", which appeared in 295,351 articles - more than the other 10 topics combined. The authors found that comments by President Trump drove major spikes in the "miracle cures" topic, led by his April 24 press briefing where he mused on the possibility of using disinfectants inside the body to cure the coronavirus. Similar spikes were seen when he promoted unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine. (with inputs)

Donald Trump is the biggest driver of Covid-19 misinformation, study says

US President Donald Trump and First lady Melania Trump tested positive for Novel Coronavirus ahead of US Election 2020. Trump gets infected after close aide Hope Hicks tested positive. The world reacts with shock, sympathy & mockery, Watch the full report to know more.

U.S. Election 2020 New York Direct EP6 | US President & First lady contract Novel Coronavirus

WASHINGTON — The first lady, Melania Trump, delivered a profanity-laced rant about Christmas decorations at the White House and mocked the plight of migrant children who were separated from their parents at the border in 2018 during a conversation secretly taped by a former aide and close confidante.

“I’m working like a — my a**&nbsp;off at Christmas stuff,” Trump laments to the former aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has just published a tell-all book, in a recording that was first broadcast on CNN on Thursday night. Trump continued, “You know, who gives a f**k about Christmas stuff and decoration?”

Later in the conversation, which occurred in July 2018, the first lady complained about the criticism leveled at President Donald Trump and his administration that summer for separating families in a crackdown on immigration.

“I say that I’m working on Christmas planning for the Christmas, and they said, ‘Oh, what about the children?’ That they were separated.” She used another obscenity to express her exasperation, asking Winston Wolkoff, “Where they were saying anything when Obama did that?”

The audio recording puts the first lady’s frustrations on full display only weeks before Donald Trump faces voters in his bid for a second term.

In a statement, Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff, accused Winston Wolkoff of seeking to profit by releasing the recordings even as she tries to increase sales of her book, “Melania and Me.”

“Her only intent was to secretly tape the first lady in order to peddle herself and her salacious book,” Grisham said. “There is no way to know if these recordings have been edited, and it’s clear the clips were hand-picked and presented with no context. The first lady remains focused on her family and serving our country.”

As first lady, Trump has been somewhat reclusive, holding few formal dinners or parties at the White House and keeping a mostly low profile. Critics have mocked her “Be Best” program, intended to encourage children to model good behavior, saying that the president hardly abides by that credo.

Winston Wolkoff’s book was published this year after a falling-out between the two women. Winston Wolkoff left the White House in early 2018 after it was revealed that her firm had received $26 million to help plan the president’s inauguration.

The recordings appear to present Trump as irritated that she does not receive the positive news coverage that she believes she deserves, in part because people say she is not speaking out enough about her husband’s actions as president.

“They say I’m complicit. I’m the same like him. I support him. I don’t say enough. I don’t do enough,” she tells Winston Wolkoff in a conversation that sounds as if she is confiding in a close friend.

The conversation took place only weeks after Trump made headlines when she traveled to an immigrant shelter for children in Texas along the Mexican border and wore a jacket that read, in white capital letters, “I really don’t care. Do U?”

At the time, the president and the first lady’s spokeswoman said that the message on the jacket was aimed at reporters, not at the children she was visiting.

Asked by Winston Wolkoff why she wore the jacket, Trump said she did it to annoy her husband’s critics.

“I’m driving liberals crazy, that’s for sure,” she said. “And that, you know, that’s — and they deserve it. And everybody’s like, ‘Oh, my God. this is the worst. This is the worst.’ After, I mean, come on. They are crazy, OK?”

In the recordings, she complains that the news media was not willing to write a positive article about her visit and her efforts to help reunite children with their parents. She says they do not understand the limits of what she can do because reuniting them “needs to go through the process and through the law.”

Of the news media, she says: “They will not do the story. We put it out. They would not do the story. You would not believe it. They would not do the story because they are not — they would not do the story because they are against us because they are liberal media. Yeah, if I go to Fox, they will do the story. I don’t want to go to Fox.”

The recordings also suggest that the president’s view of immigration — and in particular his support for the idea of separating children at the border to deter illegal crossings — influenced the way she saw the issue as well.

In one part of the conversation, according to CNN, Melania Trump questioned whether the mothers and children who claimed to have been subject to violence in their home countries were really lying to Border Patrol officials.

“A lot of, like, moms and kids they are teached how to do it,” Trump said. “They go over and they say like, ‘Oh, we will be killed by a gang member, we will be, you know, it’s so dangerous.’ So they are allowed to stay here.”

She said the families, most of whom come from Central America, could have chosen to stay in Mexico.

WASHINGTON — The first lady, Melania Trump, delivered a profanity-laced rant about Christmas decorations at the White House and mocked the plight of migrant children who were separated from their parents at the border in 2018 during a conversation secretly taped by a former aide and close confidante.

WASHINGTON — The first lady, Melania Trump, delivered a profanity-laced rant about Christmas decorations at the White House and mocked the plight of migrant children who were separated from their parents at the border in 2018 during a conversation secretly taped by a former aide and close confidante. “I’m working like a — my a** off at Christmas stuff,” Trump laments to the former aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has just published a tell-all book, in a recording that was first broadcast on CNN on Thursday night. Trump continued, “You know, who gives a f**k about Christmas stuff and decoration?” Later in the conversation, which occurred in July 2018, the first lady complained about the criticism leveled at President Donald Trump and his administration that summer for separating families in a crackdown on immigration. “I say that I’m working on Christmas planning for the Christmas, and they said, ‘Oh, what about the children?’ That they were separated.” She used another obscenity to express her exasperation, asking Winston Wolkoff, “Where they were saying anything when Obama did that?” The audio recording puts the first lady’s frustrations on full display only weeks before Donald Trump faces voters in his bid for a second term. In a statement, Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff, accused Winston Wolkoff of seeking to profit by releasing the recordings even as she tries to increase sales of her book, “Melania and Me.” “Her only intent was to secretly tape the first lady in order to peddle herself and her salacious book,” Grisham said. “There is no way to know if these recordings have been edited, and it’s clear the clips were hand-picked and presented with no context. The first lady remains focused on her family and serving our country.” As first lady, Trump has been somewhat reclusive, holding few formal dinners or parties at the White House and keeping a mostly low profile. Critics have mocked her “Be Best” program, intended to encourage children to model good behavior, saying that the president hardly abides by that credo. Winston Wolkoff’s book was published this year after a falling-out between the two women. Winston Wolkoff left the White House in early 2018 after it was revealed that her firm had received $26 million to help plan the president’s inauguration. The recordings appear to present Trump as irritated that she does not receive the positive news coverage that she believes she deserves, in part because people say she is not speaking out enough about her husband’s actions as president. “They say I’m complicit. I’m the same like him. I support him. I don’t say enough. I don’t do enough,” she tells Winston Wolkoff in a conversation that sounds as if she is confiding in a close friend. The conversation took place only weeks after Trump made headlines when she traveled to an immigrant shelter for children in Texas along the Mexican border and wore a jacket that read, in white capital letters, “I really don’t care. Do U?” At the time, the president and the first lady’s spokeswoman said that the message on the jacket was aimed at reporters, not at the children she was visiting. Asked by Winston Wolkoff why she wore the jacket, Trump said she did it to annoy her husband’s critics. “I’m driving liberals crazy, that’s for sure,” she said. “And that, you know, that’s — and they deserve it. And everybody’s like, ‘Oh, my God. this is the worst. This is the worst.’ After, I mean, come on. They are crazy, OK?” In the recordings, she complains that the news media was not willing to write a positive article about her visit and her efforts to help reunite children with their parents. She says they do not understand the limits of what she can do because reuniting them “needs to go through the process and through the law.” Of the news media, she says: “They will not do the story. We put it out. They would not do the story. You would not believe it. They would not do the story because they are not — they would not do the story because they are against us because they are liberal media. Yeah, if I go to Fox, they will do the story. I don’t want to go to Fox.” The recordings also suggest that the president’s view of immigration — and in particular his support for the idea of separating children at the border to deter illegal crossings — influenced the way she saw the issue as well. In one part of the conversation, according to CNN, Melania Trump questioned whether the mothers and children who claimed to have been subject to violence in their home countries were really lying to Border Patrol officials. “A lot of, like, moms and kids they are teached how to do it,” Trump said. “They go over and they say like, ‘Oh, we will be killed by a gang member, we will be, you know, it’s so dangerous.’ So they are allowed to stay here.” She said the families, most of whom come from Central America, could have chosen to stay in Mexico.

In profane rant, Melania Trump takes aim at migrant children and critics

The first presidential debate between President Donald Trump & Democrat nominee Joe Biden was more of a yelling match than a structured exchange of ideas. Watch the report to know more.

US Election 2020: First debate of the most polarised election; WION-VOA Co-Production

Senators of the Republican Party said on Friday that they will continue to press forward the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in spite of President Trump having been infected with coronavirus. The Judiciary Committee hearings are due to begin on October 3. Amy Coney Barrett has been nominated by Donald Trump for US Supreme Court.

Mitch McConnel, Senate majority leader, said that the Senate would proceed with Barrett's confirmation.

"I think we can move forward. Our biggest enemy, obviously, is ... the coronavirus, keeping everybody healthy and well and in place to do our job," McConnell told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.

"Full steam ahead," an aide to Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham told Reuters when asked if the schedule for hearings due to begin on Oct. 12 could change.

Graham spoke to Trump on Friday morning and said the first thing the president asked about was the Senate`s plan for Barrett`s confirmation, the aide added.

Barrett, who was last with Trump on Saturday, has tested negative for the coronavirus and is following government guidelines on social distancing and other best practices, according to a White House official.

Republican Party has 53-47 majority in the Senate.

Why the hurry

Amy Coney Barrett is known for her conservative views. Republican Party's vote base is conservative Americans. If Amy Coney Barrett gets confirmed on the Supreme Court, the conservative judges will have 6-3 majority over judges who are more liberal.

Moreover, the republican party is trying hard to confirm Amy Coney Barrett before November 3 US Presidential Elections.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-has-the-coronavirus-what-risks-does-he-face-332026">Trump has the coronavirus. What risks does he face?</a> 
 
In 2000, US Supreme Court had to resolve US Presidential Elections after the votes had been cast and counted. Republican Party's George Bush was declared winner of the election.

It is being said that by confirming Amy Coney Barrett in Supreme Court, Republicans envisage a possible advantage if Supreme Court needs to get involved to resolve US Elections 2020.

What options do Democrats have?

At the moment very few. Although two Republican Senators have said that they will not support Trump's nominee, another defection from the Republican camp would bring the Senate strength during the vote to 50-50. Vice-President Mike Pence can then exercise casting vote in favour of Amy Coney Barrett.

Biden and his vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris, a member of the Judiciary Committee, blasted Trump's choice of Barrett, focusing in particular on the threat they said she would pose to healthcare for millions of Americans.

Biden noted that even as Trump's administration is seeking to strike down Obamacare in a case the Supreme Court is due to hear on Nov. 10, Barrett has a "written track record" criticizing a pivotal 2012 ruling authored by Chief Justice John Roberts preserving the healthcare law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. If quickly confirmed, Barrett could be on the bench to hear that case.

Democrats also fretted that Barrett could help overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, a goal of religious conservatives.

(With Reuters inputs)

Senators of the Republican Party said on Friday that they will continue to press forward the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in spite of President Trump having been infected with coronavirus.

Senators of the Republican Party said on Friday that they will continue to press forward the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in spite of President Trump having been infected with coronavirus. The Judiciary Committee hearings are due to begin on October 3. Amy Coney Barrett has been nominated by Donald Trump for US Supreme Court. Mitch McConnel, Senate majority leader, said that the Senate would proceed with Barrett's confirmation. "I think we can move forward. Our biggest enemy, obviously, is ... the coronavirus, keeping everybody healthy and well and in place to do our job," McConnell told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt. "Full steam ahead," an aide to Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham told Reuters when asked if the schedule for hearings due to begin on Oct. 12 could change. Graham spoke to Trump on Friday morning and said the first thing the president asked about was the Senate`s plan for Barrett`s confirmation, the aide added. Barrett, who was last with Trump on Saturday, has tested negative for the coronavirus and is following government guidelines on social distancing and other best practices, according to a White House official. Republican Party has 53-47 majority in the Senate. Why the hurry Amy Coney Barrett is known for her conservative views. Republican Party's vote base is conservative Americans. If Amy Coney Barrett gets confirmed on the Supreme Court, the conservative judges will have 6-3 majority over judges who are more liberal. Moreover, the republican party is trying hard to confirm Amy Coney Barrett before November 3 US Presidential Elections. Also Read | Trump has the coronavirus. What risks does he face? In 2000, US Supreme Court had to resolve US Presidential Elections after the votes had been cast and counted. Republican Party's George Bush was declared winner of the election. It is being said that by confirming Amy Coney Barrett in Supreme Court, Republicans envisage a possible advantage if Supreme Court needs to get involved to resolve US Elections 2020. What options do Democrats have? At the moment very few. Although two Republican Senators have said that they will not support Trump's nominee, another defection from the Republican camp would bring the Senate strength during the vote to 50-50. Vice-President Mike Pence can then exercise casting vote in favour of Amy Coney Barrett. Biden and his vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris, a member of the Judiciary Committee, blasted Trump's choice of Barrett, focusing in particular on the threat they said she would pose to healthcare for millions of Americans. Biden noted that even as Trump's administration is seeking to strike down Obamacare in a case the Supreme Court is due to hear on Nov. 10, Barrett has a "written track record" criticizing a pivotal 2012 ruling authored by Chief Justice John Roberts preserving the healthcare law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. If quickly confirmed, Barrett could be on the bench to hear that case. Democrats also fretted that Barrett could help overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, a goal of religious conservatives. (With Reuters inputs)

Republicans to push Barrett's confirmation despite Trump's positive COVID-19 test

The US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>'s close aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The news broke out minutes after&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;claimed that the end of the pandemic "is in sight".

Hicks, who is&nbsp;counselor to President Donald Trump,&nbsp;was recently spotted flying in the Air Force One on Tuesday with the President to the first presidential debate in Ohio.

After her coronavirus tests came out, the spotlight has turned towards&nbsp;Trump.&nbsp;The President, however, has assured the public that he and the First lady have undergone a COVID test after Hicks tested positive. The first couple has quarantined themselves while they await their test results.

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Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1311859538279239686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-claims-end-of-pandemic-in-sight-at-al-smith-dinner-before-us-election-2020-331847">Also read:&nbsp;Donald Trump claims 'end of pandemic in sight' at Al Smith Dinner before US election 2020</a>

Hicks was also seen aboard the&nbsp;Marine One&nbsp;along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna. None of them were spotted wearing a face mask.

As of now, there have been no specific steps taken int he White House against the spread of coronavirus since Hicks' announcement. The White House spokesman Judd Deere said "the president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously."

He also assure that the White House takes the required "for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the president is traveling."

The US President Donald Trump's close aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The news broke out minutes after Trump claimed that the end of the pandemic "is in sight".

The US President Donald Trump's close aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The news broke out minutes after Trump claimed that the end of the pandemic "is in sight". Hicks, who is counselor to President Donald Trump, was recently spotted flying in the Air Force One on Tuesday with the President to the first presidential debate in Ohio. After her coronavirus tests came out, the spotlight has turned towards Trump. The President, however, has assured the public that he and the First lady have undergone a COVID test after Hicks tested positive. The first couple has quarantined themselves while they await their test results. Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020 × Also read: Donald Trump claims 'end of pandemic in sight' at Al Smith Dinner before US election 2020 Hicks was also seen aboard the Marine One along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna. None of them were spotted wearing a face mask. As of now, there have been no specific steps taken int he White House against the spread of coronavirus since Hicks' announcement. The White House spokesman Judd Deere said "the president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously." He also assure that the White House takes the required "for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the president is traveling."

Donald Trump to quarantine after close aide Hope Hicks tests positive for COVID-19

A federal judge has blocked the enforcement of the H-1B visa ban issued by US President Donald Trump in June this year.

The ruling places an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions that prevent manufacturers from filling crucial, hard-to-fill jobs to support economic recovery, growth and innovation when most needed.

The order was issued on Thursday by District Judge Jeffrey White of Northern District of California. He said the president exceeded his constitutional authority.

The lawsuit against the Department of Commerce and Department of Homeland Security was filed by companies represented by National Association of Manufacturers, US Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation and TechNet.

In June, Trump had issued an executive order that had put temporary bar on issuing of new H-1B and other foreign visas including H-2B, J and L visas, till the end of the year.

The president had argued that the United States needs to save and protect jobs for its domestic work force at a time when millions of them lost their jobs due to coronavirus pandemic.

A number of IT companies and other US firms, and those representing them had voiced their opposition to the temporary ban.

Manufacturers went to court to challenge the administration's ban on certain visas because the restrictions both undermined the industry at a critical time and conflicted with the law.

"Congress's delegation of authority in the immigration context"does not afford the president unbridled authority to set domestic policy regarding employment of nonimmigrant foreigners.&nbsp; 
Such a finding would render the president's Article II powers all but superfluous," Judge White wrote in his 25 pager order.

The judge noted that the text of Article I and more than two centuries of legislative practice and judicial precedent make clear, the Constitution vests Congress, not the President, with the power to set immigration policy.

If the fact that immigrants come from other countries inherently made their admission foreign relations subject to the President's Article II power, then all of this law would be superfluous, the judge said.

"Indeed, there must be some measure of constraint on the presidential authority in the domestic sphere in order not to render the executive an entirely monarchical power in the immigration context, an area within clear legislative prerogative.

Such unrestricted authority would be contrary to Congress' explicit delegation of powers in foreign affairs and national security," White said.

The ruling by Judge White is in contrast with a order passed by District Judge Amit Mehta of the District of Columbia in August who ruled that he does not has the power to enjoin the ban while the litigation is under way.

LEGISLATION PASSED

Meanwhile, an influential American lawmaker has introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to overhaul the H-1B visa system to prevent the firing of domestic workers.

Introduced on Thursday by Congressman Mo Brooks from Alabama, the American Jobs First Act seeks to sops employers from hiring foreign H-1B workers if they have recently, or plan to, furlough their US workers.

It also requires employers to pay their H-1B workers more than the American workers to ensure foreign labour is only used when absolutely necessary.

The American Jobs First Act suspends the F-1 OPT program, which grants all foreign students extendable work permits and exacerbates job market competition among American graduates.

Further it ends the diversity visa lottery programme, which fails to serve US interests by issuing 50,000 green cards to foreigners from around the world regardless of their qualifications.

American Jobs First Act will bring much needed reform and oversight to the H-1B visa program to ensure that US workers are no longer disadvantaged in their own country, Congressman Brooks said.

To end the allure of cheap foreign labour, the bill will require employers to pay any H-1B workers a minimum amount of USD 110,000.

The legislation also ends the visa lottery that hands out 50,000 green cards, with work permits, based on a randomised computer drawing.

(with inputs from agencies)

A federal judge has blocked the enforcement of the H-1B visa ban issued by US President Donald Trump in June this year. The ruling places an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions that prevent manufacturers from filling crucial, hard-to-fill jobs to support economic recovery, growth and innovation when most needed.

A federal judge has blocked the enforcement of the H-1B visa ban issued by US President Donald Trump in June this year. The ruling places an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions that prevent manufacturers from filling crucial, hard-to-fill jobs to support economic recovery, growth and innovation when most needed. The order was issued on Thursday by District Judge Jeffrey White of Northern District of California. He said the president exceeded his constitutional authority. The lawsuit against the Department of Commerce and Department of Homeland Security was filed by companies represented by National Association of Manufacturers, US Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation and TechNet. In June, Trump had issued an executive order that had put temporary bar on issuing of new H-1B and other foreign visas including H-2B, J and L visas, till the end of the year. The president had argued that the United States needs to save and protect jobs for its domestic work force at a time when millions of them lost their jobs due to coronavirus pandemic. A number of IT companies and other US firms, and those representing them had voiced their opposition to the temporary ban. Manufacturers went to court to challenge the administration's ban on certain visas because the restrictions both undermined the industry at a critical time and conflicted with the law. "Congress's delegation of authority in the immigration context"does not afford the president unbridled authority to set domestic policy regarding employment of nonimmigrant foreigners. Such a finding would render the president's Article II powers all but superfluous," Judge White wrote in his 25 pager order. The judge noted that the text of Article I and more than two centuries of legislative practice and judicial precedent make clear, the Constitution vests Congress, not the President, with the power to set immigration policy. If the fact that immigrants come from other countries inherently made their admission foreign relations subject to the President's Article II power, then all of this law would be superfluous, the judge said. "Indeed, there must be some measure of constraint on the presidential authority in the domestic sphere in order not to render the executive an entirely monarchical power in the immigration context, an area within clear legislative prerogative. Such unrestricted authority would be contrary to Congress' explicit delegation of powers in foreign affairs and national security," White said. The ruling by Judge White is in contrast with a order passed by District Judge Amit Mehta of the District of Columbia in August who ruled that he does not has the power to enjoin the ban while the litigation is under way. LEGISLATION PASSED Meanwhile, an influential American lawmaker has introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to overhaul the H-1B visa system to prevent the firing of domestic workers. Introduced on Thursday by Congressman Mo Brooks from Alabama, the American Jobs First Act seeks to sops employers from hiring foreign H-1B workers if they have recently, or plan to, furlough their US workers. It also requires employers to pay their H-1B workers more than the American workers to ensure foreign labour is only used when absolutely necessary. The American Jobs First Act suspends the F-1 OPT program, which grants all foreign students extendable work permits and exacerbates job market competition among American graduates. Further it ends the diversity visa lottery programme, which fails to serve US interests by issuing 50,000 green cards to foreigners from around the world regardless of their qualifications. American Jobs First Act will bring much needed reform and oversight to the H-1B visa program to ensure that US workers are no longer disadvantaged in their own country, Congressman Brooks said. To end the allure of cheap foreign labour, the bill will require employers to pay any H-1B workers a minimum amount of USD 110,000. The legislation also ends the visa lottery that hands out 50,000 green cards, with work permits, based on a randomised computer drawing. (with inputs from agencies)

US judge blocks Trump's H-1B visa ban; legislation introduced to overhaul system

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-undergoes-covid-test-after-close-aide-hope-hicks-tests-positive-for-covid-19-331850">Donald Trump undergoes COVID test after close aide Hope Hicks tests positive for COVID-19</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/10/02/162744-donald-trump-with-his-aide-hope-hicks.jpg?itok=veIoqj6c" />

Hicks was also seen aboard the Marine One along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/armenia-azerbaijan-clashes-rage-as-macron-denounces-jihadist-deployment-331858">Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes rage as Macron denounces 'jihadist' deployment</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/10/02/162756-armenia-azerbaijan-clashes-rage.jpg?itok=JLaLt1Z3" />

The West and Moscow renewed calls to halt several days of fighting over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region that has left more than 130 dead and threatened to draw in regional powers Turkey and Russia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judge-blocks-trumps-h-1b-visa-ban-331848">US judge blocks Trump's H-1B visa ban</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/09/14/159841-trumppp.jpg?itok=2cz8Mdis" />

The ruling places an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions that prevent manufacturers from filling crucial, hard-to-fill jobs to support economic recovery, growth and innovation when most needed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-imposes-sanctions-on-belarus-lukashenko-not-on-the-list-331862">EU imposes sanctions on Belarus; Lukashenko not on the list</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/08/04/152996-untitled-design-14.jpg?itok=6fjZnxSi" />

The EU came to a decision on Friday after Cyprus dropped its opposition over demands that the bloc also punish Turkey for tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-exclusive-former-cia-director-leon-panetta-the-man-who-got-osama-bin-laden-331844">WION Exclusive: Former CIA Director Leon Panetta, the man who got Osama Bin Laden</a>

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Donald Trump undergoes COVID test after close aide Hope Hicks tests positive for COVID-19 Hicks was also seen aboard the Marine One along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna.

Donald Trump undergoes COVID test after close aide Hope Hicks tests positive for COVID-19 Hicks was also seen aboard the Marine One along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna. Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes rage as Macron denounces 'jihadist' deployment The West and Moscow renewed calls to halt several days of fighting over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region that has left more than 130 dead and threatened to draw in regional powers Turkey and Russia. US judge blocks Trump's H-1B visa ban The ruling places an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions that prevent manufacturers from filling crucial, hard-to-fill jobs to support economic recovery, growth and innovation when most needed. EU imposes sanctions on Belarus; Lukashenko not on the list The EU came to a decision on Friday after Cyprus dropped its opposition over demands that the bloc also punish Turkey for tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. WION Exclusive: Former CIA Director Leon Panetta, the man who got Osama Bin Laden ×

Morning news brief: Judge blocks H-1B visa ban, EU sanctions on Belarus and more

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