GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert tests positive for COVID-19 after not wearing a mask in Congress

Rep. Louie Gohmert questions U.S. Attorney General William Barr during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on July 28, 2020 in Washington, DC
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who has often refused to wear a mask on Capitol Hill amid the coronavirus pandemic, has tested positive for COVID-19, Politico reports.

Gohmert tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the White House on Wednesday morning before he was set to travel with President Trump to Texas, according to the report. As Politico notes, Gohmert "has been walking around the Capitol without a mask." On Tuesday, he was in attendance for a hearing with Attorney General William Barr, and according to Bloomberg News' Erik Wasson, he at one point didn't have a mask on when he was "a few feet from" Barr outside of the hearing.

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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.