"I'm not going to talk through a mask."
As daily COVID-19 cases keep piling up in the US, Donald Trump’s covid-19-3052889.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">chief of staff Mark Meadows testing positive for the infection hasn't come as a shocker to the citizens.
Two senior administration officials confirmed Friday that Meadows had tested positive for the virus, which has killed more than 236,000 Americans so far this year.
Meadows travelled with Trump in the run-up to Election Day and last appeared in public early Wednesday morning without a mask as Trump falsely declared victory in the vote count.
Soon after the news broke out on social media, many users dug up the recent incidents wherein Meadows had refrained from wearing a facemask. In a brief interaction with media, Meadows turned down speaking to the journalists while wearing the protective gear.
Yeah, so, Mr. No Mask here TODAY tested positive for coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus.This is Mark Meadows. Trump's Chief of Staff. https://t.co/qEyOOR1Vby
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) November 7, 2020
While others feared that Trump's aide could end up being a super spreader as he attended several US Elections 2020 events along with the President.
Recall that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was at the election night party in the East Room attended by 400 people — that could turn out to be a superspreader event if Meadows was already infected.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) November 7, 2020
Here's a maskless Mark Meadows, White House Chief of Staff now confirmed to have tested positive for COVID, at Trump Campaign HQ on Election Night. pic.twitter.com/ECADDxWWnX
— The Recount (@therecount) November 7, 2020
Mark Meadows, who laughed at reporters who asked him to put on a mask while being interviewed, has tested positive for coronavirus. It is what it is.
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) November 7, 2020
Mark Meadows, the genius WH Chief of Staff who refused to wear a freaking mask, tested positive for COVID-19.So shocking.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) November 7, 2020
Who saw this coming? https://t.co/MPfZr6uBW3
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) November 7, 2020
Mark Meadows must have tested positive for COVID days after he said, "we are not going to control the pandemic."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 7, 2020
Another Twitter user shared a snippet of former US President Barack Obama slamming Meadows over his statement on the pandemic.
Former Pres. Obama on White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' statement that "we are not going to control the pandemic.""Yeah, we noticed." https://t.co/73qjVv8857 pic.twitter.com/4wTP3Ps193
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) November 2, 2020
Meadows had been one of the close aides around Trump when the president came down with the virus more than a month ago, but was tested daily and maintained his regular work schedule.
(With AP inputs)