Biden Pointedly Declines to Comment on Report That Trump Was COVID-Positive Before Their 2020 Debate

© REUTERS / LEAH MILLISU.S. President Joe Biden speaks before signing four bills from the South Court Auditorium at the White House, in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks before signing four bills from the South Court Auditorium at the White House, in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2021 - Sputnik International, 1920, 02.12.2021
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Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows claimed Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 three days before his first debate against then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, but went ahead with it anyway, according to his memoirs cited on Wednesday.
President Joe Biden has declined to comment on the claim that former President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 three days before their first presidential debate. The announcement had been made by Trump’s ex-chief of staff Mark Meadows in his upcoming book, "The Chief’s Chief," an early copy of had been seen by The Guardian.
As ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked Biden if he believes Trump put him at risk of contracting the virus when he was a Democratic presidential nominee, Biden paused, and responded, "I don't think about the former president."
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, however, availed herself of an opportunity to take a dig at Republicans and Trump allies over the reportedly withheld positive test.
"What is not lost on us is that no one should be surprised that currently in Congress, as we're looking at the government staying open, you have supporters of the former president, supporters of the former president who withheld information, reportedly, about testing positive and appeared apparently at a debate, also held events at the White House, reportedly, with military veterans and military families," she said.
Psaki added that the White House did not know about Meadows' claim prior to the report in the outlet.
Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, was also cited as having been “not aware of his test positivity or negativity" when asked about the report at the White House briefing. "I'm not going to specifically talk about who put who at risk, but I would say, as I've said, not only from an individual but for everybody, that if you test positive, you should be quarantining yourself," he said.
Ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, in his upcoming book, "The Chief’s Chief," an early copy of which was cited by The Guardian, claims that Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 three days before his first debate against then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
© AP Photo / Alex BrandonPresident Donald Trump removes his mask as he stands on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2
President Donald Trump removes his mask as he stands on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2 - Sputnik International, 1920, 02.12.2021
President Donald Trump removes his mask as he stands on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2
The positive test on 26 September had ostensibly come from an old model kit and Trump was shortly tested again using “the Binax system." After he received a negative result, he took it as “full permission to press on as if nothing had happened."
It was not until 2 October that Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, after news emerged of a cluster of coronavirus infections at the White House. The then-POTUS was taken to Walter Reed that day, after announcing his own and wife Melania’s diagnosis via Twitter.
The former POTUS has denied allegations that he had COVID-19 "prior or during" his first debate against then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, calling the called the allegations "fake news" in a short statement on Wednesday.
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