U.S. Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, has just announced he has tested positive for COVID-19. Sen. Lee is just the latest to contract the coronavirus. The President and First lady, Counselor to the President Hope Hicks, and RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel have all announced positive tests in the past 24 hours.
Senator Lee, a hard core Tea Party far right conservative who subscribes to the pseudo-methodologies of constitutional interpretation known as textualism and originalism, sits on the Judiciary Committee.
On Tuesday, just three days ago, he met with President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, who also has embraced textualism and originalism. Given incubation periods it’s highly possible Lee was infected that day.
“I continue to be remarkably impressed by Judge Barrett,” Lee said after meeting Coney Barrett, calling his meeting with her “fantastic.”
Here’s Sen. Lee at the White House on Saturday after the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
In a statement Lee says he is isolating but will continue to work to advance Coney Barrett’s nomination.
This article has been updated to include video of Sen. Lee at the White House.