President Donald Trump tested negative for COVID-19 on his way to the final presidential debate.
During the flight to Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters the president took a coronavirus test and received a negative test result while on Air Force One.
“We tested him on the way here, and he tested negative,” Meadows said.
Trump announced he had received a positive COVID-19 result early on Oct. 2, just three days after he participated in the first presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
After the news of his diagnosis, questions swirled about whether the president has contracted the virus before the debate — and whether he was tested for the virus the day he faced off with the former vice president.
During a town hall event with NBC News on Oct. 15, Trump was asked if he took a coronavirus test before the first debate. He said, “I don’t know, I don’t even remember. I test all the time.”
When pressed on the issue, he said, “I probably did…Possibly I did, possibly I didn’t.”
.@SavannahGuthrie: "Did you take a test on the day of the debate?"
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 16, 2020
President Trump: "I probably did" https://t.co/ljdI2byJxM #TrumpTownHall pic.twitter.com/Y1DwlylUgK
Since he recovered from the virus, he claimed he is immune from contracting it again.
Biden’s campaign announced that he also tested negative for the virus ahead of the debate.
Speaking to reporters about the debate, Biden said, “Hopefully [Trump] ‘s gonna play by the rules. Hopefully, everybody’s been tested.”
“Hopefully, it’s all worked out the way the rules are. I’m looking forward to this,” he added.