A Brazilian official who was photographed over the weekend at Mar-a-Lago with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a report by Estadao, though Trump continues to downplay the risk of the virus.
Fabio Wajngarten who is the press secretary to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
Only a few days before, the aide posted a photo of himself standing beside Donald Trump, wearing a “Make Brazil Great Again” hat.
The guy standing to Trump’s left just tested positive for coronavirus, according to Brazilian media. Fabio Wajngarten posted this photo, taken during meetings at Mar-a-Lago, five days ago. pic.twitter.com/qioU4qIlxl
— Gabriel Stargardter (@gabstargardter) March 12, 2020
Asked about his contact with the Brazilian official, Trump told reporters on Thursday, “I did hear something about that, we had dinner together in Florida at Mar-a-Lago with the entire delegation.”
“I don’t know if the press aide was there. If he was there, he was there. But we did nothing very unusual, we sat next to each other for a period of time. … He’s doing a terrific job in Brazil and we’ll find out what happens, I guess they’re being tested right now.”
Moments later, Trump added, “Let’s put it this way — I’m not concerned.”
Trump "not concerned" that Bolsonaro aide he was in contact with may have coronavirus pic.twitter.com/Hx0hvNPd9p
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 12, 2020
Trump has received criticism for the way that his administration has handled the coronavirus.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a recent late-night show appearance, “Here we have a stock market that is collapsing, you have a coronavirus that is scaring the entire world,” telling Trump, “Why don’t you do your job.”
The stock market collapse has hurt Trump, who has regularly boasted about booming numbers — but as of Thursday, more than 80% of the stock market gains under his presidency have been erased.
During a Wednesday night speech, he told the nation, “This is not a financial crisis, this is just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome as a nation, and as a world,” adding for “the vast majority of Americans the risk [of coronavirus] is very, very low.”