Trump Hasn’t Been Tested For Coronavirus Despite Contact With Self-Quarantining GOPers

The White House confirmed on late Monday night that President Donald Trump has not undergone a test for COVID-19 even though he has made contact with several Republican lawmakers who are now under self-quarantine due to exposure to a coronavirus patient.

“The President has not received COVID-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms,” White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. “President Trump remains in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him.”

“Per current CDC guidelines, medical professionals should base testing decisions on patient symptoms and exposure history,” she continued.

Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Doug Collins (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are quarantining themselves after making contact with an individual at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) less than two weeks ago who is now hospitalized for the coronavirus. Even Matt Schlapp, the CPAC chair, made contact with the attendee and is also under self-quarantine.

Trump has been in close contact with several of those conservatives: He shook hands with Schlapp on the last day of CPAC on February 29, he flew on Air Force One with Gaetz on Monday, and he shook hands with Collins on Friday during a tour of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) facility in Atlanta, Georgia.

Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump appointed to lead the administration’s response to the coronavirus, said during a press conference on Monday night that he did not know whether the President had been tested for the disease.