Oct 7, 2020 - Politics & Policy

White House disputes Kudlow claim that Trump worked in Oval Office

Orion Rummler

Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

The White House denied Wednesday that President Trump worked in the Oval Office on Tuesday while still suffering from coronavirus, despite an assertion otherwise from by White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

The state of play: Kudlow told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that Trump had worked in the Oval with unspecified "extra precautions" to protect against the spread of the virus.

He declined to "be specific" on whether Trump wore a mask, instead insisting that "traffic is limited" in the Oval and that "additional measures ... much greater than simply masking" had been taken.

The other side: White House communications aide Ben Williamson pushed back on Kudlow's claim, tweeting that Trump "wanted to be in the Oval Office" but instead "stayed back in the residence working from there."

"Safety preparations have been underway in the event he moves to working out of the Oval in the coming days," Williamson added.

The big picture: Trump announced that he tested positive on Friday, though his doctors have not confirmed that timeline. The CDC states that a person can be contagious for up to 10 days after coronavirus symptoms resolve.

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White House disputes Kudlow claim that Trump worked in Oval Office

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