Trump tested positive for COVID-19 days before debate with Biden, Mark Meadows says

Donald Trump
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump received a positive COVID-19 test result days before participating in a presidential debate last year, according to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

In his forthcoming book, Meadows writes that Trump tested positive for the coronavirus on Sept. 26, three days before a debate with then-candidate Joe Biden, The Guardian reports. The candidates were required "to test negative for the virus within seventy-two hours of the start time," but "nothing was going to stop [Trump] from going out there," Meadows writes.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.