2020 Presidential Election: Q&A About President Trump And The Coronavirus

The unthinkable has happened. Donald Trump has tested positive for COVID-19, the president announced in a tweet early Friday morning. First Lady Melania Trump has also tested positive, he said, adding they will start the quarantine process immediately.

Only hours earlier Trump had tweeted that Hope Hicks, a top adviser to the president, had just tested positive for COVID-19, adding that he and Melania were waiting for their own test results. Hicks had traveled with Trump recently, including to the first presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday.

So what happens now?

Will the president continue work?

Early Friday morning a White House official confirmed that the president will work from his residence while recovering from the virus. As of right now the president only has cold-like symptoms and will continue his duties in quarantine.

In a research note published earlier this year, John Hudak, a senior fellow and deputy director at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Effective Public Management, outlined some of the scenarios designed to protect the president, his administration, and the continuity of government in the event of a positive COVID-19 test.

Hudak said the test, in itself, would not be cause for emergency action. Instead, Trump would likely be able to continue his everyday activities and manage the office either undisturbed or with mild challenges.

A positive case is expected to create some challenges for those around him, however, “the need for 24-hour Secret Service protection could put agents at risk for contracting it. But given modern technology, the president could quarantine and have remote or sufficiently distanced contact from most, if not all, aides, including the individuals who would be involved in the presidential daily brief,” Hudak said.

Who has Trump been around?

The president has interacted with a variety of different staff members, donors, and supporters in the week following his positive case.

Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chairwoman, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and was last seen with the president last Friday.

On the way back from Cleveland there were many Air Force One attendees that could be seen not wearing a mask.

On the way to the first presidential debate, Trump was with all his adult children, Bill Stepien, the president’s campaign manager, and many other top white house officials.

On the flight home from the debate, Jason Miller, Trump’s campaign strategist; Stephen Miller, the White House policy adviser; Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff; Robert O’Brien, the national security adviser; and Rep. Jim Jordan, R- Ohio, were all in contact with the president Tuesday evening.

Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s supreme court nomination, was also at the White House this week interacting with the president. Former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie worked closely with Trump for several days preparing for the debate. Christie said on CNN that he lasted test negative on Tuesday.

Joe Biden and his campaign will also undergo COVID tests Friday following the president's diagnosis.

It’s still unclear how many other aides have come in contact with Trump, but the White House said its medical unit was conducting contact tracing. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vice President Pence, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, have all tested negative for the virus.

What will happen to Vice President Pence?

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday.

If Trump were to receive treatment that impairs his ability to perform his presidential duties, it is possible the president could invoke Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.

This would pave the way for the vice president to become acting president until Trump notifies the House and Senate that he is able to perform his duties once again.

If Trump's health deteriorated rapidly Section 4 of the 25th Amendment would provide a solution as well. In this case, the vice president and a majority of the cabinet would send notice to the House and Senate saying that Trump is currently not able to perform his duties as president making Pence the acting chief.

Can the election be delayed?

Earlier this year, New York University law professor Richard Pildes told the Washington Post that in the event of either Trump or Biden's death, the respective parties would need to replace the name of their candidate on each state’s ballot with the name of a new candidate.

Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, argued that it’s almost impossible to replace candidates at this stage of the election.

“It seems impossible for candidates to come up with a new name to replace a name on the ballot without starting the whole election process over, which is not possible in the 30+ days before election day,” Hasen said in a blog post published Thursday.

Hasen also said that he found it “hard to believe” Congress would pass a bill to delay the presidential election, although conceded it was a possibility if one of the presidential candidates were to become incapacitated.

What will happen to the presidential debates?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends isolating for two weeks after contracting COVID-19 which means the next debate may be canceled. However, there has been no word yet on what's going to happen with the debates.