WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would be willing to be tested for the coronavirus after interacting with congressional lawmakers who have since self-quarantined because of concerns over the outbreak.
But the president also insisted that he remains in good health.
“I don’t think it’s a big deal. I would do it,” Trump told reporters in the Capitol after meeting with Republican senators.
“I don’t feel that any reason — I feel extremely good. I feel very good, but I guess it’s not a big deal to get tested, and I — something I would do,” the president continued.
“But again, I spoke to the White House doctor, terrific guy, talented guy. He said he sees no reason to do it,” Trump said. “There’s no symptoms, no anything. And you know what, if there were, you people would be the first to know it. You would maybe even tell me about it.”
The president’s remarks came after White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement on Monday night that Trump “has not received COVID-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms.”
Grisham added that Trump “remains in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him.”
A trio of Republican House members who recently came in close contact with the president had announced earlier Monday that they planned to quarantine themselves after potential exposure to a coronavirus patient.
Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who shook hands with Trump on Friday, and Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who was on board Air Force One and drove in Trump’s car on Monday, said they were informed that they had interacted with an individual at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference who was later hospitalized with coronavirus.
Representative Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Trump’s incoming chief of staff, also said he was under self-quarantine as a precautionary measure, although he tested negative for the virus.