After White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced on Monday that she has tested positive for COVID-19, the Trump administration was hit with a stinging criticism: the White House is currently more infected than three countries that have a combined population of 124 million people.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a Yale-educated lawyer and California Democrat, led the charge on an increasingly more common criticism: New Zealand, Taiwan, and Vietnam have fewer COVID-19 cases than the White House.
In recent days, President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, White House advisor Hope Hicks, McEnany, Trump’s personal assistant Nick Luna, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, at least three Republican senators, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have all tested positive for COVID-19. These are not the only known cases, either.
The Amy Coney Barrett nomination ceremony two Saturdays ago, which most to all of these individuals attended, is widely believed to be the event that sparked the outbreak. Video and images circulated widely online show people who have since tested positive hugging and engaging in up-close-and-personal conversation at the Barrett event—both indoors and outdoors.
“There are now more recorded cases of COVID-19 in the White House than in New Zealand, Taiwan, and Vietnam combined, and they have 124 million people,” Rep. Khanna said. “Let that sink in.”
Progressive non-profit Public Citizen repeated this criticism almost verbatim.
As we write this, CNN is reporting that two of Kayleigh McEnany’s staffers have tested positive for COVID-19.
While we certainly hope this outbreak doesn’t get any worse, it seems likely at this moment in time that there will be more positive tests will be reported in the coming days.
The McEnany staffers have been identified as Chad Gilmartin and Karoline Leavitt.
Gilmartin is the cousin of McEnany’s husband, MLB pitcher Sean Gilmartin.
[Images via SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images]
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