Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, has tested positive for coronavirus, an RNC spokeman announced Friday.
“After a member of her family tested positive for COVID-19, the Chairwoman was tested for the virus. On Wednesday afternoon, she got confirmation she was COVID-19 positive. She has been at her home in Michigan since last Saturday,” RNC spokesman Mike Reed said in a statement.
President Donald Trump announced overnight that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus.
McDaniel’s positive test was first reported by The New York Times.
As a top official, McDaniel frequently interacts with the President and other top Republican lawmakers. She was last with the President last Friday, according to the Times.
Her decision to stay at home in Michigan all week left her absent from Tuesday’s presidential debate in Cleveland between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
McDaniel has defended the President against accusations that he downplayed and mishandled the coronavirus pandemic. She’s also been supportive of the Trump campaign’s decision to hold indoor rallies, despite the clear risk to attendees’ health and the potential violation of local coronavirus restrictions on crowd size.
In mid-March, McDaniel had self-quarantined after experiencing a fever and flu-like symptoms. She tested negative at the time.
Trump’s diagnosis throws into question the status of the next presidential debates and how Republicans intend to rally supporters in the final stretch of the campaign as their party’s nominee is kept off the campaign trail and isolating at the White House.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Ryan Nobles and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.
