President Trump isn’t worried that he recently came into contact with an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Trump spoke with White House reporters Thursday morning, just days after Bolsonaro and his press aide met with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in South Florida over the weekend.
On Thursday morning, Brazilian newspapers reported that Bolsonaro press aide Fabio Wajngarten tested positive for the virus after returning to Brazil from the U.S. with flu-like symptoms. Both the Brazilian Health Ministry and Bolsonaro’s office confirmed Thursday that Wajngarten — who posted a photo on Instagram of him standing close to Trump and Pence in Mar-a-Lago — tested positive for COVID-19.
When asked whether he was aware of the Bolsonaro aide who may have contracted the coronavirus, Trump replied that he “did hear something about that.”
“We had dinner together in Florida at Mar-a-Lago, with the entire delegation,” Trump said. “I don’t know if the press aide was there — if he was there, he was there. But we did nothing very unusual.”
After saying that he and Bolsonaro “sat next to each other for a period of time,” Trump went on to tout how they had a “great conversation” and that the Brazilian president is is “doing a terrific job.”
“We’ll find out what happens,” Trump said. “I guess they’re being tested right now.”
Trump then added that he’s “not concerned.”
Later Thursday, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement confirming that it’s aware of reports saying Wajngarten tested positive for the virus, but that “confirmatory testing is pending.”
Grisham said in the statement that next steps will be determined as “exposures from the case are being assessed” and that given how both Trump and Pence barely interacted with Wajngarten, they “do not require being tested at this time.”
Grisham also wrote that the White House Medical Unit and the United States Secret Service are working closely with various agencies to ensure the health of the First & Second Families as well as White House staff.
Pointing to CDC guidelines, Grisham wrote that there is “currently no indication” to test patients who aren’t displaying symptoms, and that self-quarantine should only apply to “people with prolonged close exposure.”
Watch Trump’s remarks below:
Trump "not concerned" that Bolsonaro aide he was in contact with may have coronavirus pic.twitter.com/Hx0hvNPd9p
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 12, 2020
