Trump says he and first lady tested positive for coronavirus

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 07:  U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media during a meeting with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the Oval Office of the White House January 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Mitsotakis is expected to discuss various issues with President Trump, including Greece’s relations with Turkey.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 07: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media during a meeting with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the Oval Office of the White House January 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Mitsotakis is expected to discuss various issues with President Trump, including Greece’s relations with Turkey. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump said early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunges the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election.

Trump, who has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans, said he and Mrs. Trump were quarantining. The White House physician said the president is expected to continue carrying out his duties "without disruption" while recovering.

Still, Trump's diagnosis was sure to have a destabilizing effect in Washington, raising questions about how far the virus had spread through the highest levels of the U.S. government. Hours before Trump announced he had contracted the virus, the White House said a top aide who had traveled with him during the week had tested positive.

"Tonight, (at)FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," Trump tweeted just before 1 a.m. "We will get through this TOGETHER!"

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