Marc Short, the 50-year-old chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend, according to a White House statement released Saturday evening.
Short, who is considered a top aide to Pence, has started the process of quarantining himself and “assisting in the contact tracing process,” according to a statement from Press Secretary Devin O’Malley. Short is considered a “close contact” to Pence.
“While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short, in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel,” said O’Malley.
The press secretary said that both Pence and second lady Karen Pence tested negative for coronavirus as of Saturday, and “remain in good health,” reports Axios.
The New York Times, citing a “Trump advisor” briefed on the matter, reported Saturday evening that Marty Obst, an advisor to Pence, tested positive for coronavirus several days ago. Furthermore, The New York Times reported: “Another person briefed on the developments, who also was not allowed to speak publicly, said that at least one additional Pence staff member had tested positive.”
Pence, who was campaigning on Saturday, spoke to a crowd of supporters in Lakeland, Florida, as part of the Trump campaign’s final push to hold rallies in various swing states ahead of the presidential election. Pence will campaign in Kinston, North Carolina, on Sunday evening and in Hibbing, Minnesota, on Monday afternoon.
Megan Pratz, the vice president’s pool reporter on Saturday evening, reported that Short was not on the trip to Florida and that, from her perspective, the “staff aboard Air Force Two diligently wore masks, including what I could see of the vice president,” with the exception of his remarks at the rally.
From my perspective as today’s VP pool reporter, the staff aboard Air Force Two diligently wore masks, including what I could see of the vice president.
He did not wear a mask when addressing rallygoers in Lakeland and Tallahassee, Florida.
— Megan Pratz (@meganpratz) October 25, 2020