Chris Wallace says Trump family actually didn't get tested before debate

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

published 2 October 2020

Fox News' Chris Wallace has suggested the Trump family put everyone at Tuesday's debate at risk of catching the coronavirus.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump announced early Friday they both tested positive for COVID-19, just days after they appeared at the first presidential debate. Both viewers and participants in the debate were required to be tested for COVID-19 before coming in, but as Wallace described Friday on Fox News, the Trump family may have found a workaround.

While talking with Wallace, fellow host Bill Hemmer discussed a Friday statement from the Cleveland Clinic that said "the candidates themselves ... had been tested and tested negative by their respective campaigns." "They weren't tested by the clinic based on that statement, Chris, and to me, that sounds like an honor system," Hemmer said. "Well, they couldn't be tested by the clinic," Wallace responded, explaining how he and Hemmer had arrived early enough to be tested, but the Trump family "didn't show up until 3, 4, 5 in the afternoon" on the day of the debate. "Yeah, there was an honor system" when it came to the two campaigns' people, Wallace finished.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox