Pence aide tests positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON – A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the second administration aide this week to test positive for the disease just as the White House has sought to project a return to normalcy across America.
The staffer who tested positive is Katie Miller, Pence’s press secretary and the wife of Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump known for his hardline stance on immigration. Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide, said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.
The staffer tested positive as Pence was preparing to depart for Iowa to meet with faith leaders Friday to discuss reopening religious services to the public and to hold a roundtable discussion about securing the nation’s food supply.
Earlier, a senior administration official told reporters traveling with Pence that the staffer tested positive Friday morning after testing negative the day before. The staffer had been in contact with six people scheduled to fly with Pence, the official said. Those staffers were removed from the plane, delaying Pence’s departure for an hour.
“The person who tested positive was not on the plane and not scheduled to be on the trip,” the official said.
The official said neither Pence nor Trump has had any recent contact with the staffer.