On Friday morning, President Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. The diagnoses follow the positive test result of close aide Hope Hicks a few hours prior. Both the President and First Lady are quarantining in the White House for an unspecified amount of time.

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

The positive test results cast uncertainty on the upcoming presidential election and mark an escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Concerns have arisen over the health of the 74-year-old president and other White House officials who may be infected. 

The diagnosis of the President undercuts the administration’s efforts to reopen the nation, as the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over 200,000 American lives and severely weakened the economy. Should the President fall too ill to lead, a constitutional provision grants the Vice President temporary power. Both Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence tested negative on Friday. 

With only 32 days before the election, the positive test result has forced President Trump to take time away from his campaign and withdraw from public events and rallies. The White House has already canceled campaign rallies in Florida and appearances in Wisconsin and Arizona. The status of the upcoming October 15th debate in Miami remains uncertain.

Global markets fell on Friday morning as the news of President Trump’s diagnosis was announced. President Trump joins a list of several world leaders who have tested positive for COVID-19, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.