President Trump and his staff flouted CDC coronavirus guidelines 24 times since Sept. 1
Grace Hauck , Joshua Bote | USA TODAY
President Donald Trump and members of his administration have often flouted guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, according to a review of news events by USA TODAY.
Since Sept. 1 alone, the President and key Oval Office figures have violated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on the coronavirus at least 24 times, ignoring recommendations on mask wearing, social distancing, quarantining and more.
To prevent the spread of the disease that has killed more than 210,000 people in the U.S., the CDC recommends that:
- People should quarantine for 14 days if they were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more.
- People should wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in the same household, especially in large groups and in other settings when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area are "highest-risk."
- The CDC recommends that people who have had COVID-19 can be around other people again if they meet three criteria: It has been 10 days since symptoms first appeared and at least 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and other symptoms are improving.
Here's when and where the President and administration officials have broken those guidelines.
Trump hosted rallies with large, unmasked crowds - 15 times
Trump has held at least 15 rallies since Sept. 1. USA TODAY reviewed its coverage of the rallies and found that each violated guidance on face masks, social distancing and/or limits on the sizes of gatherings in the locality. Many violated all three categories. Most of the rallies were held outside on tarmacs or in hangars, but at least one was held indoors.
For example, at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, around 4,000 people gathered despite Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's ban on gatherings of more than 250 people. At Duluth International Airport, an estimated 3,000 people — largely maskless — were in attendance. At Harrisburg International Airport, the campaign said 2,000 chairs were placed, and it appeared as though thousands more were there to support the president , including multiple elected officials.
"It is gravely concerning that the president would insist on holding this event with blatant disregard for social distancing and masking requirements," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said in the statement. "His decision to bring thousands of people together in a tight space in the midst of a global pandemic caused by an airborne virus is flat-out wrong."
Here is a list of times
- Trump held Sept. 3 rally in Pennsylvania
- Trump held Sept. 8 rally in North Carolina
- Trump held Sept. 10 rally in Michigan
- Trump held Sept. 12 rally in Nevada
- Trump held Sept. 13 rally in Nevada
- Trump held Sept. 17 rally in Wisconsin
- Trump held Sept. 18 rally in Minnesota
- Trump held Sept. 19 rally in North Carolina
- Trump held two Sept. 21 rallies in Ohio
- Trump held Sept. 22 rally in Pennsylvania
- Trump held Sept. 24 rally in Florida
- Trump held Sept. 25 rally in Virginia
- Trump held Sept. 26 rally in Pennsylvania
- Trump help Sept. 30 rally and fundraiser in Minnesota
16. No masks were worn at Trump’s debate prep
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that during debate preparation for President Trump from Saturday to Tuesday before the debate, none of the people present wore masks .
"No one was wearing masks in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time," Christie said. "And the group was about five or six people, in total."
17. Nomination ceremony in Rose Garden saw 180-plus people, close together
Trump and at least seven other people who attended a White House ceremony unveiling Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court have been infected, including two Republican members of the Judiciary Committee.
Though the activity was held outside at the Rose Garden, the majority of the 180-plus people in attendance sat close to each other for an extended period, and most people didn’t wear masks. There were smaller indoor gatherings as part of the occasion.
18. Trump not tested before debate
Trump arrived at the debate venue at Cleveland Clinic's Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion for the first time at 4:23 p.m. It was then that he should have been tested for the virus, but, according to Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who moderated the debate on Sept. 29 in Ohio, the timing of Trump's arrival meant that there was insufficient time for Trump to get tested and receive a result .
19. Trump family largely ignored mask rules at debate
Wallace said in an interview Friday on his network that the Trump family members — including Ivanka Trump, a presidential advisor — who watched the debate in-person did not wear masks as they were instructed .
Wallace said the rules called for everybody except for Trump, Biden and the moderator to wear face masks. He said a safety personnel member from the Cleveland Clinic came up to the family when they were seated and offered them masks in case they didn't have them "and they were waved away."
20. Trump held fundraiser in New Jersey
Trump participated in a roundtable event with supporters and a fundraising reception at his golf club in Bedminster.
It was after this event that Bloomberg reported Hicks was experiencing symptoms associated with the coronavirus. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the White House learned of Hicks' positive test as Marine One was lifting off the South Lawn on Thursday to take the president to a fundraiser in New Jersey. Questions later surfaced about why Trump attended the campaign event knowing he had been exposed to someone with a positive test result.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy blasted Trump as "reckless" on Monday for coming to the state last week even though Hicks had been diagnosed with COVID-19. He said his administration is investigating whether the Thursday fundraising event at Trump's golf club in Bedminster violated the governor's executive orders by exceeding capacity limits and providing a buffet meal to the 206 attendees.
21. Trump took ride outside hospital
Days after testing positive for COVID-19, Trump was driven around outside Walter Reed Hospital Sunday night to wave at supporters.
Dr. James P. Phillips, an attending physician at Walter Reed, tweeted that everybody in the vehicle with Trump should be quarantined for 14 days. "They might get sick. They may die," he tweeted. "For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity."
22. Press secretary removes mask to brief reporters
Press Secretary Kaleigh McEnany, who was not quarantining days after several people in the White House had tested positive, removed her mask to brief reporters outside the White House Sunday, one day before she tested positive.
23. Pence to attend rallies after negative COVID tests
Vice President Mike Pence is not quarantining and will be ramping up rally attendance, including visiting Nevada and his home state of Indiana this week. He will also be debating against Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday. He has tested negative for COVID-19 repeatedly since Friday, when Trump tested positive. He was present at the White House Rose Garden event.
24. Barr may not quarantine for long enough
Attorney General William Barr, who was also present at the White House event, has tested negative for the coronavirus four times since early Friday, a Justice Department spokeswoman said Sunday. He announced that he would temporarily self-quarantine, reversing a decision made that he would not. That said, he said that he was planning on returning back to work "this week," per CNN.
Video footage of him in close contact with Kellyanne Conway, who tested positive for COVID-19, circulated online soon after Trump’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
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