Outbreaks of COVID-19 amongst Trump’s inner circle has left nearly 350 people close to him either infected with coronavirus or actively quarantining.
That includes 40 people close to Trump, including his family, aides, and staff who attended White House events like the September 26 party celebrating Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and the Election Night party, both of which featured people not wearing masks or social distancing.
Amongst those infected were Trump’s racist policy advisor, Stephen Miller; his rabidly dishonest press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany; his birther conspiracist wife, Melania Trump; his dishonest political advisor, Kellyanne Conway; his transphobic Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson; the Republican National Committee chief of staff, Richard Walters; the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows; and Trump political director, Brian Jack, among others.
Additionally, 130 Secret Service officers who helped protect Trump during his largely maskless and thankfully ineffective campaign rallies have also either tested positive or are currently in quarantine after having close contact with infected co-workers, effectively sidelining “roughly 10 percent of the agency’s core security team,” according to The Washington Post.
“Trump went on a travel blitz in the final stretch of the campaign, making five campaign stops on each of the last two days,” the publication wrote. “On Nov. 2, Trump’s campaign schedule required five separate groups of Secret Service officers — each numbering 20 to several dozen.”
“Some Secret Service personnel have privately complained to colleagues that they were instructed by presidential detail agents and White House staff not to wear masks in his presence, according to two people who heard the complaints,” the Post continued.
“The number of officers who have been pulled off duty creates a major stress on an already overworked team and will force many officers to forgo days off and work longer hours to compensate for absent co-workers.”
The publication also stated that 300 Secret Service officers overall have had to quarantine or have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of March.