Trump is at Walter Reed after testing positive for the coronavirus
Cheryl Diaz Meyer/NPR
The Big Picture: Thrust Into Uncertainty
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Washington is in unchartered territory. President Trump is staying at Walter Reed Hospital and [receiving treatment]( including Remdesivir, after testing positive for the coronavirus. His reelection campaign is on pause and White House Press Secretary Kalyleigh McEnany says he will spend a few days in the presidential suite at the hospital.
The news that the president and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus came in a tweet at 1 a.m. ET on Friday. It rocked the country and quickly upended the campaign, the business of government and [spurred questions about contingency plans]( and the line of succession. While there were releases from Sean Conley, the White House physician, listing the types of medication and symptoms like fatigue the president was experiencing, there were few answers about the president’s condition. Trump himself was seen early Friday evening, walking to Marine One, in a mask, on his way to Walter Reed. He [also posted a recorded video]( on Twitter thanking supporters.
And into the evening, a cluster emerged: a growing list of guests that attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the president' nominee to fill the Supreme Court, at the White House last Saturday have announced they also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who was on the debate stage with the president on Tuesday, told reporters tested negative. He cut back his campaign schedule and [called for the sharply divided country to come together](.
2020 was already a chaotic year: the country is still in the midst of the pandemic and announcements of mass layoffs by airlines and theme parks were another gut punch as millions of parents struggled to manage children still attending school virtually. Voting is already underway in many states, the election is only 30 days away, and the president’s diagnosis added another level of uncertainty to a constant stream of stunning and potentially race-altering developments.
One thing that appears to be on track is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s drive to confirm Barrett, the president’s nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, both members of the panel handling the nomination also announced they tested positive for the virus, but Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said the confirmation hearings will start as planned on Oct 12.
Barrett, who has met with dozens of senators this week in person, tested negative. [But the lack of a formal testing protocol]( or contact tracing on Capitol Hill prompted top Democratic leaders to insist that test results be public so any outbreak can be contained. McConnell, who wouldn’t answer whether he was recently tested, brushed off any changes for Congress, maintaining that following CDC guidelines was working well and the chamber would be in session next week.
— Deirdre Walsh, NPR’s Congress editor
[Read more](
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2020 Election Roundup
Pelosi preps for rare election scenario: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [is warning Democrats]( that they must win not just the House but a majority of each state delegation in case the House is called upon to decide the election in January. Pelosi outlined the once far-fetched scenario in a letter to Democrats last weekend.
Voting shifts: Over the past few months, more and more people say they specifically [plan to vote in person]( on Election Day — rather than mail voting. Now, officials worry that could lead to unsafe crowding and excessive lines in some areas.
Poll watchers: At Tuesday’s presidential debate, President Trump [called on his supporters]( "to go into the polls and watch very carefully." That has election officials and voting rights advocates worried about voter intimidation at polling places.
Voting by mail deadlines: In response to the coronavirus pandemic, dozens of states have modified their rules for mail-in voting in the 2020 election. [Here's a look at the key deadlines in your state](.
Trump now says he condemns white supremacists: Days after failing to outright condemn white supremacists as the presidential debate, President Trump [told Fox News]( that he condemns right-wing hate groups such as the KKK and the Proud Boys. Trump’s [initial comments]( drew widespread criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans.
“Naked ballots” in Pennsylvania: A recent court ruling in Pennsylvania declared that if voters forget to include the extra "secrecy" envelope when they return their absentee ballots, their votes won't be counted. [Experts are now worried]( this could lead to thousands of votes being rejected.
— Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer
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[200,000 Lives Lost to Coronavirus ]
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ICYMI: Top Stories
Parscale steps away: Brad Parscale, President Trump’s former campaign manager, [stepped away from the campaign this week](. Parsale was involuntarily hospitalized last weekend after an incident at his Florida home last weekend. He had been previously demoted from his position as campaign manager in July.
Supreme Court timeline: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans to move full steam ahead with confirming Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. The president said he wants to see a nominee confirmed as quickly as possible, ideally before the election, which is now a month away. Only two justices since President Gerald Ford's administration have been confirmed in such a short window. [See how Barrett's timeline could compare with previous nominees.](
About Amy Coney Barrett: Many conservatives see Judge Amy Coney Barrett [as a dream nominee]( to the U.S. Supreme Court, further solidifying the court’s conservative majority for decades to come. Liberals see her selection as their worst nightmare.
QAnon vote: The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution this week [condemning QAnon]( a fringe movement that promotes conspiracies about the U.S. government. The president has implied support for the group.
— Sam Gringlas, NPR Politics producer
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[Trump departs for Walter Reed](
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The Shot: Leaving The White House
It was a stunning sight on Friday afternoon: Marine One, lifting off from the White House grounds, ferrying President Trump to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump, in a dark blue suit and light blue tie, gave a thumbs up to onlookers. The White House says Trump will work from Walter Reed for a few days out of “an abundance of caution.”
— Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer
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