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


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.
CNN's Manu Raju additionally reports, "I've spent a lot of time in House gallery watching Gohmert frequently interact with colleagues and not wearing a mask. He doesn't maintain social distance and talks at length with members."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Questioned about this by CNN last month, Gohmert said, "I don't have the coronavirus, turns out as of yesterday I've never had it. But if I get it, you'll never see me without a mask." When CNN noted that health officials have said everyone should wear a mask in public because those without symptoms can spread COVID-19, he said, "But I keep being tested and I don't have it. So I'm not afraid of you, but if I get it I'll wear a mask."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
6 breathtaking homes in capital cities
Feature Featuring a glass conservatory in Atlanta and a loft library in Boston
By The Week US Published
-
Spring's best new cookbooks, from pizza to pastries
The Week Recommends Pizza, an array of brownies and Cantonese-American mash-ups are on the menu
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
The violent turn 'pedophile hunters' have taken in the US
In the Spotlight These influencers have taken catching predators to another level
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Microplastics accumulating in human brains, study finds
Speed Read The amount of tiny plastic particles found in human brains increased dramatically from 2016 to 2024
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published