vox--2020-10-02--The pandemic seemed like the end for this bed-and-breakfast. Then locals started coming.

When the pandemic first hit , bookings at Trapper ’ s Rendezvous Bed and Breakfast in Williams , Arizona , dried up seemingly overnight .
That was a blessing and a curse for Emily and Matthieu Monnier , who have managed the property since last year .
On the one hand , they were able to spend March and April riding bikes , fixing up the property , and soaking up the Southwestern sun at the kitschy , ranch-style hotel , located 30 minutes outside of Flagstaff .
On the other hand , the Trump administration ’ s decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia effectively put the Grand Canyon tourism industry in stasis .
The majority of the hotel ’ s guests come from overseas , and the future of the Monnier ’ s employment was up in the air .
But since mid-May , they say , Trapper ’ s Rendezvous has been operating at near capacity .
The couple , both in their 30s , have implemented their own sanitation measures — they offer contact-free check-in , they ’ ll leave your breakfast in your room overnight before you arrive , and they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common areas during your stay — but neither the county , the state , nor the federal government ever offered a playbook for operating a hotel during a national shutdown .
They just had to wing it .
Matthieu believes that the pandemic might end up being a blessing in disguise for Trapper ’ s Rendezvous .
While their international bookings haven ’ t yet rebounded , the clientele has been replaced by urban-dwelling locals .
Families and couples from California , Nevada , and the rest of Arizona , driven stir-crazy by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some wide-open spaces for one merciful weekend .
It ’ s a brand-new revenue stream for the humble bed-and-breakfast , and the Monniers hope it persists long after the coronavirus recedes from the headlines .
How did the pandemic first hit you ?
What do you remember from those early days in March and April ?
Emily Monnier : When the stay-at-home orders were placed , we got a ton of cancellations .
We had a ton of bookings for spring break , and those were all wiped out .
We had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or how long it would last , or if it would last through summer .
It was filled with a lot of uncertainty .
Matthieu Monnier : We were getting the rooms all ready for the beginning of the season .
All of a sudden , we were getting 10 phone calls a day for the next two months saying they wanted to cancel .
But at the same time , there were people coming who were acting like nothing happened , and there were people who were overreacting , asking if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room , everywhere .
“ I thought we would be shuttered by the government , but that never happened .
There was no official information.
” I ’ m from France originally , so I was talking to some of my friends back home .
They got on top of things so much faster .
But Arizona was really taking their time closing the state .
I thought we would be shuttered by the government , but that never happened .
There was no official information .
You ’ d hear one thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d hear something else .
It was certainly an interesting time to be working in a hotel .
What was it like to keep the B & B open at the beginning of the pandemic ?
That seems like a weird time to be hosting guests .
MM : We had to modify the way we operate the hotel .
We have a breakfast room , and we decided to , as much as we can , bring breakfast directly to their doors .
We always try to do a contact-free check-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information about the room , and we can even leave breakfast in their room the day before they show up if they really want , which I totally understand .
But obviously , the guests who are booking with us right now are the ones who aren ’ t that worried about Covid .
A lot of them are not bothered by our precautions .
They want to have breakfast inside , things like that .
That was interesting to see .
Did you guys get any regulations handed down by Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotel during a pandemic ?
Or were you flying solo ?
MM : No , nothing .
We didn ’ t have any information .
I was quite surprised by that .
There were no rules about hotels or B & Bs .
You couldn ’ t go get a haircut , but you could go sleep in a room that somebody stayed in the day before .
We got nothing from the county , the city , the state , or the country .
Did you feel like you were left in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was the main issue .
You ’ d listen to two different shows and have two completely different pieces of information .
EM : I think a lot of people didn ’ t know how to handle the situation .
People were struggling to do the best with what they thought was right .
To have guidelines on , like , what a hotel should and shouldn ’ t do would ’ ve been welcome .
We did what we thought was best .
We cleaned all the blankets and linens and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve just done everything as we did before .
Nobody was making us do anything .
Was that scary from a financial perspective ?
EM : The people who own this property have it all paid off .
It ’ s an investment for them , they don ’ t need it .
But we did get furloughed in April because there were so few bookings .
Since we don ’ t pay rent and we have these accommodations , we felt okay .
It was just a feeling of , “ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” We have savings , and we weren ’ t worried for ourselves .
Once May rolled around we got back to it .
How did the clientele shift in the past six months ?
MM : Usually our clients are between 50 to 70 percent foreigners .
People from China , Japan , all over the world .
Those guests stay one or two nights .
Otherwise , we get people from the East Coast who want to see the Grand Canyon .
But that ’ s totally shifted this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guests are from Arizona .
And the others are from California and Vegas .
That ’ s really interesting .
We are serving a clientele that we ’ ve never served before .
We have people who came in May who are now rebooking for later in the year .
And I think business-wise , this has been good for us .
We want people to come back .
Instead of guests coming for 24 hours , driving out to see the Grand Canyon , and taking off , they ’ re now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are playing outside , families are having a barbecue , it ’ s a lot different for us to deal with .
But I think it ’ s a positive thing .
Has anyone disrespected the social distancing rules you ’ ve set up ?
EM : For the most part they ’ ve been respectful .
They will share their opinion about not wanting to wear a mask and stuff like that , but they ’ ll still respect our rules .
MM : There was only one family who literally told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to wear a mask and that ’ s it.
” They ’ d only come for breakfast , where you can ’ t really wear a mask anyway .
But otherwise , everyone is used to it .
Especially because we ’ re now getting a lot of people from Phoenix , where you have to wear a mask if you ’ re going into a restaurant or something .
They come here to have a good time .
They don ’ t want to get into an argument .
How close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity ?
MM : For the month of July and August , we ’ re pretty much on par with where we were last year .
The locals have made up with everyone we lost internationally .
Before , we used to have more people during the week than the weekends because our international travelers came during the week .
But now instead of having a steady flow , it ’ s like having 70 percent of our bookings on the weekend .
Our weekends have been full since the middle of June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where you were like , “ It ’ s nice to be working a job where we ’ re out in the country during the middle of a pandemic ?
” MM : Absolutely .
We are very fortunate .
We have this little property that has five acres .
We can go outside , we can bike around , we ’ ve been extremely fortunate this whole time .
I was talking to my friends who were stuck at home for months .
I was telling them every day how lucky I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been so much better .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
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When the pandemic first hit, bookings at Trapper’s Rendezvous Bed and Breakfast in Williams, Arizona, dried up seemingly overnight. That was a blessing and a curse for Emily and Matthieu Monnier, who have managed the property since last year. On the one hand, they were able to spend March and April riding bikes, fixing up the property, and soaking up the Southwestern sun at the kitschy, ranch-style hotel, located 30 minutes outside of Flagstaff. On the other hand, the Trump administration’s decision to freeze inbound flights from Europe and East Asia effectively put the Grand Canyon tourism industry in stasis. The majority of the hotel’s guests come from overseas, and the future of the Monnier’s employment was up in the air.
But since mid-May, they say, Trapper’s Rendezvous has been operating at near capacity. The couple, both in their 30s, have implemented their own sanitation measures — they offer contact-free check-in, they’ll leave your breakfast in your room overnight before you arrive, and they’ll dutifully scrub down the bedrooms and common areas during your stay — but neither the county, the state, nor the federal government ever offered a playbook for operating a hotel during a national shutdown. They just had to wing it.
Matthieu believes that the pandemic might end up being a blessing in disguise for Trapper’s Rendezvous. While their international bookings haven’t yet rebounded, the clientele has been replaced by urban-dwelling locals. Families and couples from California, Nevada, and the rest of Arizona, driven stir-crazy by social distancing, are looking to enjoy some wide-open spaces for one merciful weekend. It’s a brand-new revenue stream for the humble bed-and-breakfast, and the Monniers hope it persists long after the coronavirus recedes from the headlines.
How did the pandemic first hit you? What do you remember from those early days in March and April?
Emily Monnier: When the stay-at-home orders were placed, we got a ton of cancellations. We had a ton of bookings for spring break, and those were all wiped out. We had no idea if the hotel would stay open, or how long it would last, or if it would last through summer. It was filled with a lot of uncertainty.
Matthieu Monnier: We were getting the rooms all ready for the beginning of the season. All of a sudden, we were getting 10 phone calls a day for the next two months saying they wanted to cancel. But at the same time, there were people coming who were acting like nothing happened, and there were people who were overreacting, asking if we had put bleach all over every room, everywhere.
“I thought we would be shuttered by the government, but that never happened. There was no official information.”
I’m from France originally, so I was talking to some of my friends back home. They got on top of things so much faster. But Arizona was really taking their time closing the state. I thought we would be shuttered by the government, but that never happened. There was no official information. You’d hear one thing, and then the next day you’d hear something else. It was certainly an interesting time to be working in a hotel.
What was it like to keep the B&B open at the beginning of the pandemic? That seems like a weird time to be hosting guests.
MM: We had to modify the way we operate the hotel. We have a breakfast room, and we decided to, as much as we can, bring breakfast directly to their doors. We always try to do a contact-free check-in, we send an email with all the information about the room, and we can even leave breakfast in their room the day before they show up if they really want, which I totally understand. But obviously, the guests who are booking with us right now are the ones who aren’t that worried about Covid. A lot of them are not bothered by our precautions. They want to have breakfast inside, things like that. That was interesting to see.
Did you guys get any regulations handed down by Arizona or the US government about operating a hotel during a pandemic? Or were you flying solo?
MM: No, nothing. We didn’t have any information. I was quite surprised by that. There were no rules about hotels or B&Bs. You couldn’t go get a haircut, but you could go sleep in a room that somebody stayed in the day before. We got nothing from the county, the city, the state, or the country.
Did you feel like you were left in the dark?
MM: Absolutely. That was the main issue. You’d listen to two different shows and have two completely different pieces of information.
EM: I think a lot of people didn’t know how to handle the situation. People were struggling to do the best with what they thought was right. To have guidelines on, like, what a hotel should and shouldn’t do would’ve been welcome. We did what we thought was best. We cleaned all the blankets and linens and disinfected everything. But we could’ve just done everything as we did before. Nobody was making us do anything.
Was that scary from a financial perspective?
EM: The people who own this property have it all paid off. It’s an investment for them, they don’t need it. But we did get furloughed in April because there were so few bookings. Since we don’t pay rent and we have these accommodations, we felt okay. It was just a feeling of, “When can we get back to work again?” We have savings, and we weren’t worried for ourselves. Once May rolled around we got back to it.
How did the clientele shift in the past six months?
MM: Usually our clients are between 50 to 70 percent foreigners. People from China, Japan, all over the world. Those guests stay one or two nights. Otherwise, we get people from the East Coast who want to see the Grand Canyon. But that’s totally shifted this year. Eighty to 90 percent of our guests are from Arizona. And the others are from California and Vegas. That’s really interesting. We are serving a clientele that we’ve never served before. We have people who came in May who are now rebooking for later in the year. And I think business-wise, this has been good for us. We want people to come back. Instead of guests coming for 24 hours, driving out to see the Grand Canyon, and taking off, they’re now sticking around on the property. Kids are playing outside, families are having a barbecue, it’s a lot different for us to deal with. But I think it’s a positive thing.
Has anyone disrespected the social distancing rules you’ve set up?
EM: For the most part they’ve been respectful. They will share their opinion about not wanting to wear a mask and stuff like that, but they’ll still respect our rules.
MM: There was only one family who literally told us, “I don’t want to wear a mask and that’s it.” They’d only come for breakfast, where you can’t really wear a mask anyway. But otherwise, everyone is used to it. Especially because we’re now getting a lot of people from Phoenix, where you have to wear a mask if you’re going into a restaurant or something. They come here to have a good time. They don’t want to get into an argument.
How close are you to being back to full capacity?
MM: For the month of July and August, we’re pretty much on par with where we were last year. The locals have made up with everyone we lost internationally.
Before, we used to have more people during the week than the weekends because our international travelers came during the week. But now instead of having a steady flow, it’s like having 70 percent of our bookings on the weekend. Our weekends have been full since the middle of June.
Have you two had a moment where you were like, “It’s nice to be working a job where we’re out in the country during the middle of a pandemic?”
MM: Absolutely. We are very fortunate. We have this little property that has five acres. We can go outside, we can bike around, we’ve been extremely fortunate this whole time. I was talking to my friends who were stuck at home for months. I was telling them every day how lucky I was to be here. It’s been so much better.


vox--2020-10-02--President Trump has tested positive for Covid-19

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19 , the White House announced early Friday morning .
“ Tonight , @ FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19 .
We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately .
We will get through this TOGETHER !
” the president tweeted early Friday .
( For the record , the president and first lady are actually “ isolating ” since they ’ ve already been diagnosed ; quarantining is when a person doesn ’ t know whether they ’ re positive . )
Jennifer Jacobs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the president Hope Hicks had tested positive and was experiencing symptoms .
Hicks has been traveling with President Trump and other White House staff in recent days , including to the debate in Cleveland , Ohio , on Tuesday and to Minnesota for a fundraiser and rally Wednesday .
The White House released a memo early Friday from Sean Conley , physician to the president , stating that “ the President and First Lady are both well at this time , and they plan to remain at home within the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties while recovering.
” The implications for the presidential campaign — and , really , the country — are unclear at this point .
Observers have been expecting an “ October surprise ” — an event that would throw the election into chaos — and the arrival of Covid-19 in the Oval Office may be it .
What happens in the coming days and weeks depends on how serious a case the 74-year-old president has .
The coronavirus is particularly dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s risk of hospitalization and death increases with every passing decade .
Neither Trump nor his physician has mentioned whether he is displaying symptoms , though Conley said he is “ well.
” Rallies are out for the foreseeable future , and it ’ s unclear whether the president will be able to attend the next debate on October 15 .
If Trump ’ s case were to worsen to the point of incapacitation , it would be possible for the vice president and a majority of sitting Cabinet secretaries to invoke the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pence the acting president .
But of course , Trump could also have a mild case and recover well before such a measure would be necessary .
During Tuesday ’ s debate , Trump mocked former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing masks .
” I don ’ t wear masks like him .
Every time you see him , he ’ s got a mask , ” Trump said .
More broadly , the president has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the pandemic , holding packed campaign gatherings and arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The problem , though , was that the virus never went away — as Trump has now learned firsthand .
To date , 7.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with the virus and at least 208,000 have died .
There have been multiple cases of coronavirus around Trump There ’ s no comment yet about Trump ’ s condition from Biden ’ s campaign , nor is there news on whether Biden has tested positive after sharing the stage with the president at Tuesday ’ s debate .
It ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entourage exposed members of the public to the virus .
According to the Washington Post , “ After White House officials learned of Hicks ’ symptoms , Trump and his entourage flew to New Jersey , where he attended a fundraiser and delivered a speech .
Trump was in close contact with dozens of other people , including campaign supporters at a roundtable event.
” While Trump , as well as aides and reporters in close contact with him , are regularly tested for the virus , mask-wearing isn ’ t mandated and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House were rolled back in July .
Already , there have been several known cases of coronavirus infection around Trump — most recently , at least 11 members of the Secret Service and his national security adviser , Robert C. O ’ Brien , according to the New York Times .
Trump also isn ’ t the first world leader to test positive .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil both contracted Covid-19 and recovered .
Johnson ’ s case was particularly severe .
During his illness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care unit , and had doctors standing by preparing to inform the world about his death .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If you haven ’ t , please consider helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world : Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19, and both are reportedly experiencing mild symptoms of the disease — a development with huge but unclear ramifications for the presidential race and for the United States’ ongoing, deadly coronavirus pandemic.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” the president tweeted early Friday.
The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman reported Friday that Trump has “cold-like symptoms” and seemed “lethargic” at an event he attended in New Jersey on Thursday. The first lady tweeted Friday morning that she was experiencing “mild symptoms” as well.
It’s not clear who exposed the president and when. But Jennifer Jacobs of Bloomberg News reported Thursday evening that counselor to the president Hope Hicks had tested positive and was experiencing symptoms. Hicks has been traveling with President Trump and other White House staff in recent days, including to the debate in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday and to Minnesota for a fundraiser and rally Wednesday.
The White House released a memo early Friday from Sean Conley, physician to the president, stating that “the President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.” Conley added: “Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties while recovering.”
The “October surprise”
The implications for the presidential campaign — and, really, the country — are unclear at this point. Observers have been expecting an “October surprise” — the term for an unforeseeable event that throws an election into chaos — and the arrival of Covid-19 in the Oval Office may be it.
What happens in the coming days and weeks depends on how serious a case the 74-year-old president has. The coronavirus is particularly dangerous for older people: A person’s risk of hospitalization and death increases with every passing decade. Neither Trump nor his physician has mentioned whether he is displaying symptoms, though Conley said he is “well.”
Rallies are out for the foreseeable future, and it’s unclear whether the president will be able to attend the next debate on October 15.
If Trump’s case were to worsen to the point of incapacitation, it would be possible for the vice president and a majority of sitting Cabinet secretaries to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment — making Mike Pence the acting president. But of course, Trump could also have a mild case and recover well before such a measure would be necessary.
During Tuesday’s debate, Trump mocked former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing masks. ”I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask,” Trump said. More broadly, the president has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the pandemic, holding packed campaign gatherings and arguing that the country needs to return to normal. The problem, though, was that the virus never went away — as Trump has now learned firsthand.
To date, 7.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with the virus and at least 208,000 have died.
There have been multiple cases of coronavirus around Trump
Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, has tested negative for coronavirus, his campaign said Friday. Biden and Trump shared a stage, maskless, at Tuesday’s presidential debate. (A negative test doesn’t necessarily mean he’s free and clear of the disease; it can take several days after exposure for some people to test positive, and some show symptoms but never test positive at all.)
It’s not yet clear whether Trump and his entourage exposed members of the public to the virus. According to the Washington Post, “After White House officials learned of Hicks’ symptoms, Trump and his entourage flew to New Jersey, where he attended a fundraiser and delivered a speech. Trump was in close contact with dozens of other people, including campaign supporters at a roundtable event.”
While Trump, as well as aides and reporters in close contact with him, are regularly tested for the virus, mask-wearing isn’t mandated and temperature screenings for visitors to the White House were rolled back in July.
Already, there have been several known cases of coronavirus infection around Trump — most recently, at least 11 members of the Secret Service and his national security adviser, Robert C. O’Brien, according to the New York Times.
Trump also isn’t the first world leader to test positive. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil both contracted Covid-19 and recovered. Johnson’s case was particularly severe. During his illness, he spent several days in the intensive care unit, and had doctors standing by preparing to inform the world about his death.


vox--2020-10-02--Everyone in the White House cluster who has said they tested positive for the coronavirus

This week , at least 11 people who work in the White House or have recently attended events there have tested positive for the coronavirus — including President Donald Trump himself .
The president announced late Thursday night that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus , joining several other high-ranking US government officials who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 .
Lawmakers have occasionally tested positive before .
In addition to Sen. Mike Lee of Utah , who followed Trump ’ s announcement with a tweet announcing a positive test of his own , two other Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer : Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana .
And on Friday evening , Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-NC ) announced he had also tested positive .
The virus has also infected at least 14 House members — nine Republicans and five Democrats — since March .
But this is the first time the virus , which has killed more than 208,000 Americans , has spread in such a concentrated manner among White House officials , staffers , and members of the press corps .
The White House , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot spot .
While it ’ s not clear how the president was exposed , Trump was in regular contact this week with senior counselor Hope Hicks , who tested positive on Thursday afternoon .
Hicks had traveled with Trump multiple times this week , including to Tuesday night ’ s presidential debate in Cleveland .
Multiple people who attended last Saturday ’ s event at the White House , when Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court , have also tested positive .
Lee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was in attendance , as was Tillis , who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee ; former senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway ; and University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins , all of whom also tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday .
Barrett , for her part , was diagnosed with coronavirus over the summer but has recovered .
It is unknown whether she now carries immunity .
As of early Friday afternoon , Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have both tested negative , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife Jill .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe tested negative as well .
Trump and his staff have been traveling to campaign events for several weeks .
Just in the last week , the president has held rallies in Florida , Virginia , Pennsylvania , and Minnesota , in addition to the debate in Ohio .
Sen. Marsha Blackburn , a Republican from Tennessee , flew with Trump to the debate , and she is now getting tested and isolating “ out of an abundance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now likely have to undertake major contact tracing efforts .
As Vox ’ s Dylan Scott explained , the only way to figure out the full extent of the outbreak is contact tracing : “ identifying who has been in close contact with the president since he became contagious , and asking them to quarantine to prevent Covid-19 from spreading to others , and to get tested themselves.
” The Trump campaign announced in a statement Friday that he and his family are suspending in-person events .
Pence ’ s campaign travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know about who has tested positive — and negative — for SARS-CoV-2 so far .
The list of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus • John Jenkins , president of the University of Notre Dame • Three journalists from the White House press corps , according to the White House Correspondents Association • A White House press staffer , according to the correspondents ’ association A brief list of key politicians and officials who have tested negative Given the level of uncertainty created by this news , Vox has compiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help run the country , key lawmakers who have been in contact with the president , and key Democrats in the 2020 election cycle who have recently gotten negative test results for the virus .
While it could take several days for an individual who has contracted the virus to test positive , these are the initial negative tests .
As of 6 pm ET Friday , here ’ s the list : • Republican Reps. Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer of Minnesota , who traveled with Trump earlier this week , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you help keep Vox free for all ?
The United States is in the middle of one of the most consequential presidential elections of our lifetimes .
It ’ s essential that all Americans are able to access clear , concise information on what the outcome of the election could mean for their lives , and the lives of their families and communities .
That is our mission at Vox .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustaining our resource-intensive work .
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Everyone in the White House cluster who has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus
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More than 20 people in and around the White House have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks — including President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and their son, Barron Trump.
The president announced on October 2 that he and Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, joining several other high-ranking US government officials who have contracted SARS-CoV-2. Trump was given an experimental antibody treatment and oxygen at the White House, before being moved to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for three days.
Melania Trump recuperated at home. Barron Trump, his mother announced on October 14, tested positive after his parents; the first lady said he was asymptomatic and has since tested negative.
Some prominent officials in the Trump administration have recently tested positive as well, including presidential adviser Stephen Miller, as well as press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and at least four members of her staff. McEnany — like others in the White House cluster — failed to immediately quarantine after Trump’s diagnosis, and she appeared in front of reporters without a mask in the following days.
While the administration has refused to conduct contact tracing, many Covid-19 cases in the cluster are believed to have originated around the time of a White House event — which took place indoors and outdoors — on September 26 honoring the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Dr. Anthony Fauci of the federal coronavirus task force has called the gathering a “superspreader event,” criticizing it for being a “situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks.”
A number of attendees tested positive for the coronavirus in the days following the event, including GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina; former senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway; and Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another attendee, also tested positive and was hospitalized for a week.
Barrett, for her part, was diagnosed with Covid-19 over the summer but has recovered. It is unknown whether she now carries immunity.
But it’s not just the one event. On October 3, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) announced he had tested positive. Johnson was not at the Barrett event, but he did attend a lunch with other Republican senators last week. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) said on October 14 he was isolating after a positive test. There was some concern Barrett’s confirmation hearing could contribute to spread given many senators — including Lee, who said he is “no longer contagious” — are attending in person.
There have been more cases of political figures in recent days, which do not immediately appear linked to the cluster: Joe Biden’s campaign announced on October 15 that Kamala Harris’s communications director and a flight crew member tested positive for coronavirus. The campaign said that others, including Harris and Biden, have repeatedly tested negative in recent days, and that it is conducting contact tracing.
Beyond the relatively well-known senators, members of the press, and White House officials who have tested positive, less well-known government staff members and security officers have been infected with the coronavirus as well. A number of such cases have been confirmed, including McEnany’s deputies, Trump aide Nicholas Luna, and military officials assigned to the White House. Vice Commandant Charles Ray of the Coast Guard tested positive, leading other military leaders to enter quarantine.
The White House, in other words, became a Covid-19 hot spot.
Over the summer, Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy were diagnosed with Covid-19 but have successfully recovered. The virus has also infected more than 15 House members since March. But this is the first time the virus, which has killed more than 215,000 Americans, has spread in such a concentrated manner among White House officials, staffers, and members of the press corps.
While it’s not clear how the president was exposed, Trump was in regular contact last week with senior counselor Hope Hicks, whose positive coronavirus test was revealed on Thursday, October 1. Hicks had traveled with Trump multiple times ahead of his diagnosis, including to the September 29 presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have both repeatedly tested negative, as have Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill. Some other Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, have tested negative as well.
Following his recovery, Trump has resumed campaigning, promising to hold a rally nearly every day between now and November 3. He kicked these off with events in Florida and Pennsylvania, and spent part of each event incorrectly stating that those who have had the coronavirus are immune to reinfection.
While the rallies are all expected to be held outdoors, they have, thus far, not featured social distancing or universal mask wearing, fueling concerns that they will create new coronavirus clusters, both in the locales in which they are held, and among Trump’s staff. And the speculation is not unfounded; local officials believe a rally the president held on September 18 in Bemidji, Minnesota, caused at least nine cases.
Here’s what we know about some key figures who have tested positive — and negative — for SARS-CoV-2 so far.
People in the White House cluster who have reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus
This list includes people who attended the September 26 Barrett event and/or have had close recent contact with the White House.
Crede Bailey, the head of the White House security office, was hospitalized with Covid-19 in September, according to Bloomberg. He reportedly became sick before the Amy Coney Barrett event.
Two housekeeping staff members at the White House tested positive in early September, according to the New York Times.
Vice Commandant Ray, Sen. Johnson, and Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel have also recently tested positive. Johnson and McDaniel were not at the Barrett event, but McDaniel had contact with Trump in the days before it.
A brief list of key politicians and officials who have tested negative
Vox has compiled a list of key administration figures who help run the country, key lawmakers who have been in contact with the president, and key Democrats in the 2020 election cycle who have recently gotten negative test results for the virus.
While it could take several days for an individual who has contracted the virus to test positive, some recent negative tests have been made public. Here’s a partial list so far:


vox--2020-10-02--Best wishes and barbs: World leaders react to Trump testing positive for the coronavirus

Ever since President Donald Trump announced he and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus early Friday morning , statements ranging from the heartfelt to the grotesque have poured in from world leaders — some even via telegram .
Some messages featured curiously similar language , with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , German Chancellor Angela Merkel , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who himself contracted the virus earlier this year — offering their best wishes for a “ full ” or “ speedy recovery ” to the First Couple .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opted for ... let ’ s call it aggressive warmth .
“ I am certain that your inherent life energy , high spirits and optimism will help you to overcome the dangerous virus , ” he told Trump in a telegram ( yes , an actual old-timey telegram ) .
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un noted the First Family “ will surely overcome ” the virus .
Others decided to turn the Trumps ’ misfortune into a global teaching moment .
“ # COVID-19 is a battle we all continue to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live , ” EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted , though he still wished the White House denizens well .
In a more fiery response , French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said , “ This demonstrates that the virus spares no one , including those who have shown skepticism .
I wish him a swift recovery.
” While Chinese government officials offered the ubiquitous “ speedy recovery ” line , Hu Xijin , editor of the Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper , initially tweeted sharp barbs at Trump .
“ President Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his gamble to play down the COVID-19 .
The news shows the severity of the US ’ pandemic situation , ” he wrote , adding the news “ may also negatively affect his reelection.
” Hu has since deleted the tweet , and instead retweeted a kinder message from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying .
It ’ s possible — if not totally likely — that high-level officials in Beijing told Hu to take down his tweet for fear of further ratcheting up US-China tensions .
The good news , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trumps get well as soon as possible .
At a time when it feels like nations are always battling each other , it ’ s good to see most set differences aside in a solemn moment .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
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Ever since President Donald Trump announced he and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus early Friday morning, statements ranging from the heartfelt to the grotesque have poured in from world leaders — some even via telegram.
Some messages featured curiously similar language, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who himself contracted the virus earlier this year — offering their best wishes for a “full” or “speedy recovery” to the First Couple.
Sophie and I are sending our best wishes to @POTUS Trump and @FLOTUS. We hope you both get well soon and have a full recovery from this virus. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 2, 2020
Chancellor #Merkel: I send Donald and Melania Trump all my best wishes for a full and speedy recovery from their #COVID19 infection. @POTUS @FLOTUS — Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) October 2, 2020
Like millions of Israelis, Sara and I are thinking of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery. https://t.co/sNrl0yHXrA — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 2, 2020
My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady. Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus. — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 2, 2020
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, opted for ... let’s call it aggressive warmth. “I am certain that your inherent life energy, high spirits and optimism will help you to overcome the dangerous virus,” he told Trump in a telegram (yes, an actual old-timey telegram). North Korean leader Kim Jong Un noted the First Family “will surely overcome” the virus.
The full message from the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Donald Trump is on state media pic.twitter.com/HCiNNx85nJ — Laura Bicker (@BBCLBicker) October 2, 2020
Others decided to turn the Trumps’ misfortune into a global teaching moment.
“#COVID-19 is a battle we all continue to fight. Everyday. No matter where we live,” EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted, though he still wished the White House denizens well. In a more fiery response, French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said, “This demonstrates that the virus spares no one, including those who have shown skepticism. I wish him a swift recovery.”
Wishing @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a speedy recovery. #COVIDー19 is a battle we all continue to fight.
Everyday.
No matter where we live. https://t.co/w5WH1pgvpB — Charles Michel (@eucopresident) October 2, 2020
While Chinese government officials offered the ubiquitous “speedy recovery” line, Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper, initially tweeted sharp barbs at Trump.
“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,” he wrote, adding the news “may also negatively affect his reelection.” Hu has since deleted the tweet, and instead retweeted a kinder message from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
It’s possible — if not totally likely — that high-level officials in Beijing told Hu to take down his tweet for fear of further ratcheting up US-China tensions.
The good news, though, is that most of the world hopes the Trumps get well as soon as possible. At a time when it feels like nations are always battling each other, it’s good to see most set differences aside in a solemn moment.


vox--2020-10-02--What we know about the experimental Covid-19 treatment Trump received

President Donald Trump has received an unproven antibody treatment for Covid-19 following a test confirming that he was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus , White House physician Sean Conley said in a letter Friday afternoon .
The treatment was developed by the biotech company Regeneron .
“ Following PCR confirmation of the president ’ s diagnosis , as a precautionary measure he received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron ’ s polyclonal antibody cocktail , ” Conley wrote .
Later in the day , Trump flew to Walter Reed Medical Center , just outside Washington , DC , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days .
“ Out of an abundance of caution , and 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 .
There is currently no treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Covid-19 , though the agency has granted emergency use authorizations to the antiviral drug remdesivir and to convalescent plasma .
However , the Regeneron therapy was given to Trump under compassionate use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case-by-case basis .
Regeneron ’ s antibody-based treatment , called REGN-COV2 , is classified as experimental and is still in clinical trials .
The company reported in a September 29 press release that the drug improved symptoms and reduced the viral load in Covid-19 patients who were not hospitalized .
“ The greatest treatment benefit was in patients who had not mounted their own effective immune response , suggesting that REGN-COV2 could provide a therapeutic substitute for the naturally-occurring immune response , ” said George D. Yancopoulos , president and chief scientific officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In March , Christos Kyratsous , vice president for infectious disease research and viral vector technologies at Regeneron , told Vox in March that this treatment could also be used prophylactically to prevent infection , in addition to being used as a treatment for an ongoing infection .
Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system ’ s B cells that attach to a pathogen like a virus or to an infected cell .
By attaching , they can either inhibit the target from doing damage or flag the target for destruction by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s case , the company started with mice that were genetically engineered to have human immune systems .
After the mice were exposed to the virus , they produced human antibodies that bind to the spike protein of the virus .
The spike is what the virus uses to enter human cells , so blocking it with antibodies can inhibit an infection .
A cocktail of two of these antibodies was then harvested from the mice and is being given to humans in clinical trials , and now to President Trump .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from convalescent plasma , another experimental treatment for Covid-19 , which is taken from people who were infected with Covid-19 but recovered .
Plasma is the liquid part of blood , including proteins used for clotting , and when harvested from convalescents , it contains antibodies to the virus .
So transfusing plasma from someone who recovered to someone who is sick could help them get better , or prevent them from getting sick in the first place .
However , the evidence to support either of these treatments is weak .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma .
“ There are insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 , ” the agency wrote in a blunt letter in September .
As for Regeneron ’ s therapy , the best evidence right now is a press release citing results drawn from an early-stage trial of just 275 people .
Without peer review of the findings , or even published data , all we have is the company ’ s word that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad about these results , you just can ’ t say much about how transformative this is going to be , ” Eric Topol , director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute , told Stat News .
Some doctors took to Twitter to criticize the decision to administer an experimental drug with limited evidence for its effectiveness to the president of the United States .
Receiving any kind of experimental treatment is a risk , but Trump does have significant factors that put him at greater risk of a severe course of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his obesity , and his gender .
And it ’ s not clear whether the decision to administer the treatment came from Conley or from the president .
However , earlier on Friday , Matt McCarthy , an infectious disease doctor , appeared on Fox Business and brought up the idea of using Regeneron ’ s antibody therapy .
Regeneron CEO Leonard S. Schleifer told the New York Times that the company received a call from the White House Friday requesting access to the drug .
“ All we can say is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , and we were happy to oblige , ” he said .
“ When it ’ s the president of the United States , of course , that gets — obviously — gets our attention.
” The Times also reported that Schleifer knows Trump personally and has been a member of Trump ’ s golf club in Westchester County in New York .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If you haven ’ t , please consider helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world : Contribute today @ @ @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump has received an unproven antibody treatment for Covid-19 following a test confirming that he was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, White House physician Sean Conley said in a letter Friday afternoon.
The treatment was developed by the biotech company Regeneron. “Following PCR confirmation of the president’s diagnosis, as a precautionary measure he received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail,” Conley wrote.
(Science reporter Jon Cohen later confirmed with Regeneron that Trump was given a monoclonal antibody cocktail, not a polyclonal cocktail.)
Later in the day, Trump flew to Walter Reed Medical Center, just outside Washington, DC, where officials say he will stay for a few days. “Out of an abundance of caution, and 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.
There is currently no treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Covid-19, though the agency has granted emergency use authorizations to the antiviral drug remdesivir and to convalescent plasma. However, the Regeneron therapy was given to Trump under compassionate use guidelines, which are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Regeneron’s antibody-based treatment, called REGN-COV2, is classified as experimental and is still in clinical trials. The company reported in a September 29 press release that the drug improved symptoms and reduced the viral load in Covid-19 patients who were not hospitalized.
“The greatest treatment benefit was in patients who had not mounted their own effective immune response, suggesting that REGN-COV2 could provide a therapeutic substitute for the naturally-occurring immune response,” said George D. Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron, in a statement.
In March, Christos Kyratsous, vice president for infectious disease research and viral vector technologies at Regeneron, told Vox that this treatment could also be used prophylactically to prevent infection, in addition to being used as a treatment for an ongoing infection.
Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system’s B cells that attach to a pathogen like a virus or to an infected cell. By attaching, they can either inhibit the target from doing damage or flag the target for destruction by other immune cells.
According to Cohen of Science:
One antibody comes from a human who had recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection; a B cell that makes the antibody was harvested from the person’s blood and the genes for the immune protein isolated and copied. The other antibody is from a mouse, which was engineered to have a human immune system, that had the spike protein [that helps the virus attach to a receptor on human cells] injected into it.
This type of treatment is a bit different from convalescent plasma, another experimental treatment for Covid-19, which is taken from people who were infected with Covid-19 but recovered. Plasma is the liquid part of blood, including proteins used for clotting, and when harvested from convalescents, it contains antibodies to the virus. So transfusing plasma from someone who recovered to someone who is sick could help them get better, or prevent them from getting sick in the first place.
However, the evidence to support either of these treatments is weak. The National Institutes of Health criticized the FDA’s emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma. “There are insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19,” the agency wrote in a blunt letter in September.
As for Regeneron’s therapy, the best evidence right now is a press release citing results drawn from an early-stage trial of just 275 people. Without peer review of the findings, or even published data, all we have is the company’s word that this works. “There’s nothing bad about these results, you just can’t say much about how transformative this is going to be,” Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, told Stat News.
Some doctors took to Twitter to criticize the decision to administer an experimental drug with limited evidence for its effectiveness to the president of the United States.
You do not give a patient -- much less the President of the United States -- a drug that is not yet approved by the FDA (to say nothing of one with "mild symptoms").
Unsurprisingly, the Trump WH is not being forthright to the American people about the health of their President. https://t.co/9YlXx0XQvR — Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel) October 2, 2020
Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody as of September is in phase 3 trials....you couldn’t pay me to take it for a fever. Things must be worse than we know. — Steven McDonald (@smcdonaldMD) October 2, 2020
The President’s team either:
A) Can’t read basic medical literature.
B) Can read medical literature but can’t overrule what he’s telling them to do, based on what advice he’s getting elsewhere.
C) Believes he is dying and therefore are willing to try anything. pic.twitter.com/yByJVcUSXV — Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) October 2, 2020
Receiving any kind of experimental treatment is a risk, and Trump is at greater risk of a severe course of the disease because of his older age, his obesity, and his gender. And it’s not clear whether the decision to administer the treatment came from Conley or from the president. However, earlier on Friday, Matt McCarthy, an infectious disease doctor, appeared on Fox Business and brought up the idea of using Regeneron’s antibody therapy.
This morning on one of the president's favorite Fox Business shows a doctor guest said, "If I got brought in today to the Oval Office, the first thing I’d say is, "Has anyone reached out to Regeneron? Has anyone talked about an antibody cocktail for him?" pic.twitter.com/zKKPiR4ejc — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 2, 2020
Regeneron CEO Leonard S. Schleifer told the New York Times on Friday that the company received a call from the White House requesting access to the drug. “All we can say is that they asked to be able to use it, and we were happy to oblige,” he said. “When it’s the president of the United States, of course, that gets — obviously — gets our attention.”
The Times also reported that Schleifer knows Trump personally and has been a member of Trump’s golf club in Westchester County in New York.


vox--2020-10-02--Trump is heading to Walter Reed hospital “for a few days”

President Donald Trump is heading to Walter Reed Military Medical Center for a “ few days , ” according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEneny , “ out of an abundance of caution ” less than 24 hours after he tested positive for the coronavirus .
“ President Trump remains in good spirits , has mild symptoms , and has been working throughout the day , ” McEneny said in a statement .
“ Out of an abundance of caution , and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts , the President will be working from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next few days .
President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady.
” Trump has suffered “ mild symptoms ” from the virus since this morning , including a low-grade fever , cough , and nasal congestion , according to multiple outlets and White House officials .
However , a White House official told me he was not bedridden and continued to work throughout the day .
Shortly before the announcement that the president was heading to Walter Reed , his physician , Sean Conley , issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating Trump .
The physician said Trump had received “ a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron ’ s polyclonal antibody cocktail ” along with “ zinc , vitamin D , melatonin and a daily aspirin , ” and he “ completed the infusion without incident.
” “ As of this afternoon the President remains fatigued but in good spirits , ” the statement read .
Still , Trump is an older , obese man , which means he ’ s at higher risk of greater complications due to the coronavirus .
Getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from important staff and others in the building who also contracted the disease , is thus the sensible move .
However , just because the president will reside at Walter Reed — a military hospital in Bethesda , Maryland — for a while doesn ’ t necessarily mean Trump will be out of commission .
There ’ s an executive suite at the facility , with a residence and office space , for Trump to use while he stays there .
So despite his condition and new location , Trump will remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House officials say .
As he landed , the president ’ s Twitter account put out a video message where he said “ I think I ’ m doing very well.
” Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If you haven ’ t , please consider helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world : Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

President Donald Trump will stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a “few days,” according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, “out of an abundance of caution.” He traveled to the facility Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after he tested positive for the coronavirus.
“President Trump remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day,” McEnany said in a statement on Friday. “Out of an abundance of caution, and 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. President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady.”
Trump has suffered “mild symptoms” from the virus since Friday morning, including a low-grade fever, cough, and nasal congestion, according to multiple outlets and White House officials. However, a White House official told me he was not bedridden and continued to work throughout the day.
Shortly before the announcement that the president was heading to Walter Reed, his physician, Sean Conley, issued a memo outlining how they were treating Trump.
The physician said Trump had received “a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail” along with “zinc, vitamin D, melatonin and a daily aspirin,” and he “completed the infusion without incident.”
“As of this afternoon the President remains fatigued but in good spirits,” the statement read.
Conley followed that statement with another late Friday that Trump “is doing very well,” that the president hasn’t needed any oxygen, but that he had started a course of the antiviral drug remdesivir, which has been shown to improve outcomes in some studies.
Trump is an older, obese man, which means he’s at higher risk of greater complications due to the coronavirus. Getting him out of the White House, away from staff and others in the building who also contracted the disease, is thus the sensible move.
However, just because the president will reside at Walter Reed — a military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland — for a while doesn’t necessarily mean Trump will be out of commission. There’s an executive suite at the facility, with a residence and office space, for Trump to use while he stays there.
So despite his condition and the new location, Trump will remain in charge of the country, White House officials say.
As he landed, the president’s Twitter account put out a video message where he said “I think I’m doing very well.”
And Friday night, Trump followed that tweet with another positive message, writing on Twitter, “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”


vox--2020-10-02--Trump has Covid-19. Voting has already started. What happens now?

Share All sharing options for : Trump has Covid-19 .
Voting has already started .
What happens now ?
The final month of the 2020 presidential campaign has been thrown into a massive amount of uncertainty as President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus .
America ’ s Covid-19 crisis has already affected the election in tangible ways , with a huge surge of mail-in ballot requests and early voting in multiple states .
Now , the coronavirus has reached one of the candidates .
Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are both in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more severe Covid-19 symptoms .
Biden has tested negative for Covid-19 , according to a statement from his doctor released on Friday .
Trump could have a mild case of the virus , and it ’ s worth noting that people can and do recover from Covid-19 at any age .
Still , Trump is the sitting president , and the novel coronavirus has the potential to be life-threatening .
It ’ s worth laying out what could happen with the nomination process if he becomes incapacitated , either before or after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to note that this process is completely separate from the 25th Amendment , which states that the vice president shall assume the office of president if the sitting president dies or becomes incapacitated .
My colleague Andrew Prokop has explained this , which you can read here . )
If Trump becomes incapacitated before Election Day and Republicans need to replace him on the ticket , the decision of who to pick is entirely up to the 168-member Republican National Committee .
The major wrinkle in all of this is that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active election .
Trump ’ s name has already been printed on millions of ballots around the country .
Early voting has commenced in multiple states , and millions of mail-in ballots are being sent out to voters in multiple states .
Resulting confusion from this potential mess could be settled by the Electoral College — but not without causing some confusion of its own .
( This is all made more complicated in part because the US election process is already extremely confusing and multi-layered .
One obvious fix would be doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president based on the popular vote , but that reform is unlikely anytime soon . )
Vox reached out to two election law experts to walk us through the scenarios .
What happens if Trump becomes incapacitated due to the coronavirus ?
There are two main scenarios , according to New York University law professor Rick Pildes .
And they depend on whether Trump were to become incapacitated before the November election or after the election but before the January presidential inauguration .
The Republican Party can ’ t hold another convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process , Pildes said .
“ You can ’ t reconstitute the convention , that ’ s just too unwieldy.
” If Trump were unable to keep running , the RNC could convene and hold a vote to choose a new nominee .
If he were to become incapacitated after winning the election , Electoral College electors likely get to have the final say , but the US House of Representatives could also weigh in if the Electoral College is split .
Republicans are in a tough spot if they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day If Trump were to become incapacitated before November 3 , the 168-member Republican National Committee would have the formal power to replace Trump with a new nominee .
Biden would get the same treatment , albeit with a much larger 447-member Democratic National Committee .
These party committee members are state-elected members ; current and former party officials ( presidents , members of Congress , etc . )
; and representatives from state , local , or national party committees .
Though the RNC met in person to nominate Trump this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own rules and could likely change the rules to allow for a virtual vote if needed .
As at the nominating convention , the RNC would just need a simple majority vote to approve a replacement nominee .
In Trump ’ s case , it ’ s important to point out that Vice President Mike Pence would not automatically become the new RNC nominee — even if he is the acting president under the 25th Amendment .
Pence would likely be the top choice , but the RNC process is a party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Constitution .
Here ’ s what the RNC bylaws say about replacing a nominee : According to Pildes , the big problem with selecting a new nominee a month out from the election is the timing .
“ Especially if this would occur in two-three weeks , the states are not going to be able to reprint their ballots , ” Pildes told Vox .
“ People might either write in the name of the replacement candidate in states that permit that , which is most states .
Or they would vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This introduces a lot of uncertainty about what happens to the vote tallies between Biden , Trump , and a hypothetical new GOP nominee , but that uncertainty would likely be resolved in the December vote of the Electoral College ( more on that below ) .
Moreover , states have already started the process of early voting ; in fact , over 2.6 million people have already cast their ballots , according to data from the US Elections Project .
If Trump was incapacitated , the vast majority who voted early for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ballots .
“ In most of the country , those votes are now locked in and can not be changed , ” said election law expert Barry Burden , a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison .
“ This is one of the liabilities of voting early ; it has a lot of upsides , but it causes a lot of voters to commit to a choice ” before November 3 .
There are a small number of states — including Minnesota and Michigan — that allow voters to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their old ballot and get a new one if they marked something wrong .
But the vast majority of states don ’ t allow this .
“ While things are far from certain , what ’ s most likely is that the election would take place on time with the deceased or incapacitated candidate ’ s name on the ballot , ” University of California Irvine election law professor Rick Hasen wrote in Slate .
Then , everything moves to the Electoral College .
Things get a little more clear-cut after Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are technically decided , after all , by the Electoral College .
The Electoral College is a body of 538 electors from states around the country , and a presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the election .
Electors are selected in the run-up to the election .
The way they ’ re chosen varies state by state ; most states choose them through party conventions , some through state party committees , and some are appointed by various state governors .
Normally , their voting process is unremarkable .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate dying or being incapacitated is also far from clear-cut , Pildes said .
“ In some states , [ electors are ] free to vote however they prefer , ” Pildes said .
However , in 33 states plus the District of Columbia , the state has legal control over how the electors vote , stipulating they must cast their electoral ballot for the candidate who won the statewide popular vote .
These laws are meant to prevent electors from going rogue , but only about half of these states actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” according to FairVote .
In these states , if an elector tries to go against voters ’ will , they will be replaced or their vote will be struck .
Several key 2020 battlegrounds , including Michigan , Arizona , and Nevada , fall into this category .
In other battlegrounds , like Florida and Wisconsin , there is no penalty and the vote of “ faithless ” electors count as cast .
In both those cases , “ I would think those electors might go ahead and vote for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Electors looking for signs of how to navigate this unprecedented situation could look to the RNC replacement vote , if one has happened .
If Trump wins the November election but becomes incapacitated before the January 20 inauguration , the Electoral College will still make the decision .
It just might be a little harder for the RNC to get on the same page with their Republican electors in states .
Still , the electors in states Trump won would likely end up unifying behind a Republican replacement , Pildes said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parties have been vigilant , the electors should be extremely loyal to their political party , ” he recently wrote in the Washington Post .
“ Even if the electors are formally bound by state law to vote for the dead candidate , I would expect them to cast their presidential vote for the vice-presidential nominee of that party.
” If there are divisions and strife within the party vote over who to choose , those conflicts could trickle down to the state electors as well .
Which brings us to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be decided by the US House of Representatives There is a very slim and unlikely chance that the whole election could be decided in the House of Representatives .
This could happen in several events ; for instance , if there is a 269-269 Electoral College tie , or if the Electoral College is deeply divided on whether they should vote for an incapacitated candidate or for his replacement .
If there is no majority winner of the Electoral College , the vote gets moved over to the US House of Representatives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US Constitution .
The process is that the House chooses a winner out of the top three vote-getters in the Electoral College .
Rather than each member voting for the winner of their congressional district , it ’ s a one-state , one-vote system .
Each state delegation gets to cast a vote , meaning Democrats and Republican lawmakers need to hash out who to vote for .
In some states like blue California , it will be easy .
In other more split states , it could be more difficult .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ after House elections in 2020 , so it ’ s impossible to know what the partisan makeup of each state delegation will look like .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already preparing for this scenario .
In a recent letter to her Democratic colleagues well before Trump ’ s Covid-19 diagnosis , Pelosi discussed the potentially historic vote her chamber might have to take and urged Democrats to win more seats ahead of it .
“ Instead of giving every member of Congress a vote , the 12th Amendment gives each state one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote of the state ’ s delegation , ” Pelosi wrote in the letter .
“ In other words , how many state delegations the Democrats win in this upcoming election could determine who our next president is.
” The timing of this is unique There is very little precedent for the situation America finds itself in .
“ There ’ s not a lot of precedent to draw on ; in fact , there ’ s none in which you ’ ve had an incapacitated nominee , ” Rutgers political science professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We elect mortals to the presidency .
They suffer from all the ills that befall mortals.
” Presidents have died shortly after taking office ( William Henry Harrison died six weeks after assuming the presidency in 1841 , and Franklin Delano Roosevelt died a few months into his fourth term ) .
But a death before a candidate accepts the nomination or gets inaugurated is uncharted territory in American politics .
The closest we have been is in 1872 , when Democratic presidential candidate Horace Greeley died after losing the election to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died before the Electoral College vote , but he had lost the popular vote by a wide enough margin that there was little doubt who won .
“ It ’ s kind of miraculous it never happened , ” Julia Azari , a political science professor at Marquette University who studies political parties , told Vox this spring .
“ In the highly unfortunate event that any person in that situation passed away , people would understand that contingencies would need to come into play , ” Azari said .
Either party could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not willing to accept party leaders once again playing such a decisive role in selecting the nominee , said Azari .
The 2016 Democratic primary saw a lot of Sanders supporters mistrusting the system after emails leaked seeming to show DNC officials favoring Hillary Clinton .
But given how unprecedented it would be for a nominee to get seriously sick or die in the middle of an election , Azari said she thinks most voters would be looking for leadership from institutions .
“ Most people would be reasonable , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaotic scenarios , but I think some gravity and general concern for the process would weigh out in this situation.
” Will you help keep Vox free for all ?
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It ’ s essential that all Americans are able to access clear , concise information on what the outcome of the election could mean for their lives , and the lives of their families and communities .
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Share All sharing options for: Trump has Covid-19. Voting has already started. What happens now?
The final month of the 2020 presidential campaign has been thrown into a massive amount of uncertainty as President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
America’s Covid-19 crisis has already affected the election in tangible ways, with a huge surge of mail-in ballot requests and early voting in multiple states. Now, the coronavirus has reached one of the candidates. Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are both in their 70s and therefore at higher risk for more severe Covid-19 symptoms. Biden has tested negative for Covid-19, according to a statement from his doctor released on Friday.
Trump could have a mild case of the virus, and it’s worth noting that people can and do recover from Covid-19 at any age. Still, Trump is the sitting president, and the novel coronavirus has the potential to be life-threatening.
It’s worth laying out what could happen with the nomination process if he becomes incapacitated, either before or after November 3. (It’s important to note that this process is completely separate from the 25th Amendment, which states that the vice president shall assume the office of president if the sitting president dies or becomes incapacitated. My colleague Andrew Prokop has explained this, which you can read here.)
If Trump becomes incapacitated before Election Day and Republicans need to replace him on the ticket, the decision of who to pick is entirely up to the 168-member Republican National Committee.
The major wrinkle in all of this is that we are currently in the middle of an active election. Trump’s name has already been printed on millions of ballots around the country. Early voting has commenced in multiple states, and millions of mail-in ballots are being sent out to voters in multiple states.
Resulting confusion from this potential mess could be settled by the Electoral College — but not without causing some confusion of its own. (This is all made more complicated in part because the US election process is already extremely confusing and multi-layered. One obvious fix would be doing away with the Electoral College and choosing the president based on the popular vote, but that reform is unlikely anytime soon.)
Vox reached out to two election law experts to walk us through the scenarios.
What happens if Trump becomes incapacitated due to the coronavirus?
There are two main scenarios, according to New York University law professor Rick Pildes. And they depend on whether Trump were to become incapacitated before the November election, or after the election but before the January presidential inauguration.
The Republican Party can’t hold another convention to choose a nominee this late in the process, Pildes said. “You can’t reconstitute the convention, that’s just too unwieldy.” If Trump were unable to keep running, the RNC could convene and hold a vote to choose a new nominee. If he were to become incapacitated after winning the election, Electoral College electors likely get to have the final say, but the US House of Representatives could also weigh in if the Electoral College is split.
Let’s walk through both scenarios.
Republicans are in a tough spot if they have to replace Trump as the nominee before Election Day
If Trump were to become incapacitated before November 3, the 168-member Republican National Committee would have the formal power to replace Trump with a new nominee. Biden would get the same treatment, albeit with a much larger 447-member Democratic National Committee.
These party committee members are state-elected members; current and former party officials (presidents, members of Congress, etc.), and representatives from state, local, or national party committees. Though the RNC met in person to nominate Trump this summer, the party is in charge of its own rules and could likely change the rules to allow for a virtual vote if needed.
As at the nominating convention, the RNC would just need a simple majority vote to approve a replacement nominee.
In Trump’s case, it’s important to point out that Vice President Mike Pence would not automatically become the new RNC nominee — even if he is the acting president under the 25th Amendment. Pence would likely be the top choice, but the RNC process is a party process, and thus separate from the US Constitution.
Here’s what the RNC bylaws say about replacing a nominee:
“The Republican National Committee is hereby authorized and empowered to fill any and all vacancies which may occur by reason of death, declination, or otherwise of the Republican candidate for President of the United States or the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States, as nominated by the national convention, or the Republican National Committee may reconvene the national convention for the purpose of filling any such vacancies.”
According to Pildes, the big problem with selecting a new nominee a month out from the election is the timing.
“Especially if this would occur in two-three weeks, the states are not going to be able to reprint their ballots,” Pildes told Vox. “People might either write in the name of the replacement candidate in states that permit that, which is most states. Or they would vote for President Trump on the ballot.”
This introduces a lot of uncertainty about what happens to the vote tallies between Biden, Trump, and a hypothetical new GOP nominee, but that uncertainty would likely be resolved in the December vote of the Electoral College (more on that below).
Moreover, states have already started the process of early voting; in fact, over 2.6 million people have already cast their ballots, according to data from the US Elections Project. If Trump was incapacitated, the vast majority who voted early for him would not be able to reclaim their ballots.
“In most of the country, those votes are now locked in and cannot be changed,” said election law expert Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “This is one of the liabilities of voting early; it has a lot of upsides, but it causes a lot of voters to commit to a choice” before November 3. There are a small number of states — including Minnesota and Michigan — that allow voters to “spoil,” or essentially invalidate, their old ballot and get a new one if they marked something wrong. But the vast majority of states don’t allow this.
“While things are far from certain, what’s most likely is that the election would take place on time with the deceased or incapacitated candidate’s name on the ballot,” University of California Irvine election law professor Rick Hasen wrote in Slate.
Then, everything moves to the Electoral College.
Things get a little more clear-cut after Election Day, but legitimacy questions abound
US elections are technically decided, after all, by the Electoral College.
The Electoral College is a body of 538 electors from states around the country, and a presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the election. Electors are selected in the run-up to the election. The way they’re chosen varies state by state; most states choose them through party conventions, some through state party committees, and some are appointed by various state governors.
Normally, their voting process is unremarkable. But the Electoral College process in case of a candidate dying or being incapacitated is also far from clear-cut, Pildes said.
“In some states, [electors are] free to vote however they prefer,” Pildes said. However, in 33 states plus the District of Columbia, the state has legal control over how the electors vote, stipulating they must cast their electoral ballot for the candidate who won the statewide popular vote.
These laws are meant to prevent electors from going rogue, but only about half of these states actually have penalties for a “deviant vote,” according to FairVote. In these states, if an elector tries to go against voters’ will, they will be replaced or their vote will be struck. Several key 2020 battlegrounds, including Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada, fall into this category. In other battlegrounds, like Florida and Wisconsin, there is no penalty and the votes of “faithless” electors count as they’re cast.
In both those cases, “I would think those electors might go ahead and vote for the replacement Republican candidate,” Pildes said.
Electors looking for signs of how to navigate this unprecedented situation could look to the RNC replacement vote, if one has happened.
If Trump wins the November election but becomes incapacitated before the January 20 inauguration, the Electoral College will still make the decision. It just might be a little harder for the RNC to get on the same page with their Republican electors in states.
Still, the electors in states Trump won would likely end up unifying behind a Republican replacement, Pildes said.
“As a practical matter, if the parties have been vigilant, the electors should be extremely loyal to their political party,” he recently wrote in the Washington Post. “Even if the electors are formally bound by state law to vote for the dead candidate, I would expect them to cast their presidential vote for the vice-presidential nominee of that party.”
If there are divisions and strife within the party vote over who to choose, those conflicts could trickle down to the state electors as well.
Which brings us to our final scenario.
The whole election could be decided by the US House of Representatives
There is a very slim and unlikely chance that the whole election could be decided in the House of Representatives.
This could happen in several events; for instance, if there is a 269-269 Electoral College tie, or if the Electoral College is deeply divided on whether they should vote for an incapacitated candidate or for his replacement.
If there is no majority winner of the Electoral College, the vote gets moved over to the US House of Representatives, as stipulated in the 12th Amendment of the US Constitution. The process is that the House chooses a winner out of the top three vote-getters in the Electoral College. Rather than each member voting for the winner of their congressional district, it’s a one-state, one-vote system.
Each state delegation gets to cast a vote, meaning Democrats and Republican lawmakers need to hash out who to vote for. In some states, like blue California, it will be easy. In other more split states, it could be more difficult. But this whole process would take place after House elections in 2020, so it’s impossible to know what the partisan makeup of each state delegation will look like.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already preparing for this scenario. In a recent letter to her Democratic colleagues well before Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis, Pelosi discussed the potentially historic vote her chamber might have to take and urged Democrats to win more seats ahead of it.
“Instead of giving every member of Congress a vote, the 12th Amendment gives each state one vote, which is determined by a vote of the state’s delegation,” Pelosi wrote in the letter. “In other words, how many state delegations the Democrats win in this upcoming election could determine who our next president is.”
The timing of this is unique
There is very little precedent for the situation America finds itself in.
“There’s not a lot of precedent to draw on; in fact, there’s none in which you’ve had an incapacitated nominee,” Rutgers political science professor Ross Baker told Vox this spring. “We elect mortals to the presidency. They suffer from all the ills that befall mortals.”
Presidents have died shortly after taking office (William Henry Harrison died six weeks after assuming the presidency in 1841, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt died a few months into his fourth term). But a death before a candidate accepts the nomination or gets inaugurated is uncharted territory in American politics.
The closest we have been is in 1872, when Democratic presidential candidate Horace Greeley died after losing the election to Republican Ulysses S. Grant. Greeley technically died before the Electoral College vote, but he had lost the popular vote by a wide enough margin that there was little doubt who won.
“It’s kind of miraculous it never happened,” Julia Azari, a political science professor at Marquette University who studies political parties, told Vox this spring. “In the highly unfortunate event that any person in that situation passed away, people would understand that contingencies would need to come into play,” Azari said.
Either party could face a legitimacy crisis if voters were not willing to accept party leaders once again playing such a decisive role in selecting the nominee, said Azari. The 2016 Democratic primary saw a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters mistrusting the system after emails leaked seeming to show DNC officials favoring Hillary Clinton. But given how unprecedented it would be for a nominee to get seriously sick or die in the middle of an election, Azari said she thinks most voters would be looking for leadership from institutions.
“Most people would be reasonable,” she said. “We are all drawn to chaotic scenarios, but I think some gravity and general concern for the process would weigh out in this situation.”