White House Adviser Stephen Miller Tests Positive for the Coronavirus

By Alana Wise, NPR

07 October 20

hite House adviser Stephen Miller has tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House press office told NPR, days after President Trump and several others at the White House have also tested positive for the virus.

In a statement shared by the press office, Miller, who made his name as the architect of some of Trump's most controversial and severe immigration policies, said:

"Over the last 5 days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday. Today, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine."

Nearly two dozen close contacts to the White House have tested positive for the virus in the last week. An event held at the White House Rose Garden on Sept. 26 to announce Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court appears to have been crucial to the spread of the virus within some of Washington's most high-profile Republican players.

After announcing he had tested positive for the virus, Trump spent about three days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for treatment. Trump left the medical facility on Monday evening to return to the White House despite ongoing treatment and concern over his health.

Miller's announcement came after other key public-facing White House associates announced they had tested positive for the virus, including Trump and first lady Melania Trump, former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary.

The news about Miller comes months after his wife, Katie, a spokeswoman to Vice President Pence, also tested positive for the virus.