Feature your business, services, products, events & news. Submit Website.
Breaking Top Featured Content:
Trump’s positive test overshadows social-media hints of trip to L.A.
Early Thursday, President Donald Trump appeared set to visit Los Angeles next week as part of a campaign swing — but that was before he tested positive for coronavirus later that evening, shifting him immediately into quarantine at the White House with First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” Trump tweeted.
Trump’s announcement, which came at 9:54 p.m. Thursday night, not only disrupts the L.A. trip hinted at in social media posts, but will surely disrupt his campaign schedule, which included myriad rallies and debates in the lead up to the Nov. 3 election.
Standard public health protocol is to isolate for two weeks.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
On Thursday, A Trump Make America Great Again Committee sweepstakes e-message foreshadowed a Los Angeles stop. The committee is a joint fundraising effort between the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.
But hours later, the president confirmed that Hope Hicks, one of his closest aides, had tested positive for the virus. Hicks began feeling mild symptoms during the plane ride home from a Trump rally in Minnesota on Wednesday evening.
Before his own announcement, Trump tweeted “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process.”
Earlier, Trump campaign social media messages set off speculation about a possible L.A. visit. Details were scant, but a post about a “sweepstakes” — which aims to raise money for the campaign — read:
“Can you come to Los Angeles with me? I’m hosting a very important event soon, and rather than spend my time with the Hollywood ELITES who HATE US, I want to spend my time with REAL Patriots, like YOU. Will you join me as my VIP guest?”
The sweepstakes email wasn’t clear on time and place, but subsequent reports suggested it could be as early as Tuesday. Speculation focused on squeezing in a quick stop in between events in Arizona and Monday and Tuesday, both already posted on the presidential itinerary.
The sweepstakes offered a flight to Los Angeles, a hotel room, a meal and a photo opportunity with Trump.
The City of the Angels is no Virginia for Trump, who has visited the commonwealth multiple times in his presidential tenure. L.A. visits? They are rare.
But he did visit in February, part of a fundraising swing in Beverly Hills coupled with a meeting including organizers of the 2028 Olympic Games.
The February visit drew a cadre of Trump supporters — from Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu to Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris to Mike Garcia, now the representative of the 25th Congressional District in northern L.A. County.
Supporters met him on the tarmac at LAX before he flew off to the fundraiser.
Before his test results came in, Trump was scheduled to hold campaign rallies in Tucson, Arizona, Monday night and in Flagstaff, Arizona, Tuesday night, according to his campaign website. But those treks could be put on hold by a quarantine.
Large gatherings are still not permitted in Los Angeles, under county health orders.
Public officials across the country have urged Trump and his campaign to heed public health guidance when they hold events in their cities and towns. At times they’ve even asked him to reconsider such visits in light of local “Safer-At-Home” orders.
Lancaster’s Parris is a supporter of the president, but said Thursday afternoon — before news of Trump’s exposure to the virus broke — that he was wary of any kind of large gathering, given public health risks, and likely wouldn’t attend if there was a gathering.
“I’m 68,” he said. “I understand the need to engage people in the process but it’s so difficult. I would just be extremely concerned.”
Parris noted that his wife is also ailing so they are both working to stay out of large public settings.
“I’d rather,” Parris said, “send him checks from afar.”
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report