[NFA] White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is the latest White House staffer to test positive for the coronavirus, following an outbreak that has also infected the president, the first lady, multiple aides and three Republican senators.
This report produced by Jonah Green.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany revealed on Monday that she too has tested positive for the coronavirus.
McEnany joins a growing list of prominent Republicans and White House officials who've been diagnosed with the disease in recent days.
That list includes President Trump, the first lady, Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien, advisor Hope Hicks, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, former advisor Kellyanne Conway, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and three Republican Senators.
McEnany routinely refused to wear a mask when talking to reporters, even after the president himself got infected, like other high-ranking White House officials who also addressed the press in recent days without face coverings.
REPORTER: "Why aren't you wearing a mask right now?" WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS: "Yeah, so, I've obviously been tested, we're hopefully more than six feet away..." [FLASH] WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISOR LARRY KUDLOW: "I'm not wearing a mask right now because I'm talking to you and we're distancing.
I tested negative this morning I get tested every day." [FLASH] REPORTER: "On the mask issue, how come you're not wearing a mask?" WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ALYSSA FARAH: "I was wearing one and I may have left it over there." In fact, McEnany – who declined to quarantine despite the growing number of positive cases around her - briefed reporters outside the White House without a mask just one day before tweeting that she'd been infected.
McEnany has routinely echoed the culture at the White House that shuns mask usage, defending the president for not wearing one and often referring to it as a personal choice.
REPORTER (MAY 15): Why does President Trump choose not to wear a face mask?
Does he thinks it sends the wrong message?" MCENANY: "That's his choice.
You know, he's tested each and every day...." On Monday she tweeted that she would now begin to quarantine.
As for the president, he began a fourth day of treatment for COVID-19 at a military hospital outside Washington Monday, with the severity of his illness unclear barely four weeks before Americans go to the polls to decide whether to reelect him.
CBS4's Ty Russell spoke exclusively with the Democratic presidential nominee.
