Ben Carson, who attended Trump's election party, tests positive for COVID-19

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

published 9 November 2020

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning as a new outbreak of the disease sweeps through the White House.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tested positive for coronavirus last Wednesday, in addition to at least five other Trump campaign and White House insiders. Meadows notably attended President Trump's election party at the White House last week, where hundreds of people gathered in the East Room, many without masks. Carson was also at that party.

ABC News' Katherine Faulders conveyed a message from Carson's deputy chief of staff, confirming the secretary is "in good spirits & feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery." After experiencing symptoms, Carson was reportedly briefly at Walter Reed Hospital, where Trump was treated after his own diagnosis last month, but has since left the hospital and was "only there for a short time," Faulders adds.

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

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox