Trump offers sympathy for Rand Paul, apparent snark for Mitt Romney, after coronavirus quarantines

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/CNN)

last updated 23 March 2020

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, his office said Sunday evening, and that diagnosis sent Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) into self-quarantine, too. Paul is the first senator confirmed to have the new coronavirus, and President Trump sent him a get-well tweet on Sunday night.

Earlier Sunday evening, Trump apparently learned about Romney's self-quarantine from a reporter at a White House coronavirus briefing. When told that Romney is in quarantine, Trump said, "Gee, that's too bad." The reporters took that to be sarcasm, given Trump's long, well-documented antipathy toward Romney. Trump denied that he was being sarcastic; you can judge for yourself.

Romney, who is 73, has told reporters he is especially concerned about exposing his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, to the virus, which is especially deadly for older people and those with underlying health problems.

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Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) criticized Paul's decision to use the Senate gym after he was tested for COVID-19 and before his positive result came back, but Democrats mostly stayed away from the GOP's coronavirus issues — and also, sensibly, each other. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.