Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett tests negative for Covid-19

High court pick has been meeting with GOP senators and accompanied to Hill by members of president’s inner circle

John T. Bennett
Washington Bureau Chief
Friday 02 October 2020 19:26 BST
Comments
Hope Hicks boards Marine One after Donald Trump

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has tested negative for coronavirus despite spending a few hours with Donald Trump on Saturday

“Judge Barrett is tested daily for COVID-19—she has tested negative. She is following CDC guidance and best practices, including social distancing, wearing face coverings, and frequently washes hands,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said on Friday.

The president announced in a tweet around 1 a.m. that he has tested positive, after months of admittedly downplaying the virus. His wife, Melania Trump, also has tested positive, along with close aide Hope Hicks.

Ms Barrett has been meeting with Republican senators as they prepare to begin her confirmation hearings in the Judiciary Committee later this month.

One, Mike Lee of Utah, has since announced that he too has tested positive for coronavirus.

Others may opt to get a new test since Ms Barrett was accompanied to Capitol Hill by members of the president’s West Wing staff.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in