Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced late Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after a White House event in the Rose Garden on Saturday. Several people present—multiple senators and the president of Notre Dame university—have tested positive for the virus since attending. The gathering celebrated the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and she was there as well. Tillis said in a statement, “I will be following the recommendations of my doctor and will be self-isolating at home for 10 days and notifying those I’ve been in close contact with. Thankfully, I have no symptoms and I feel well.” Tillis’ diagnosis poses potential complications for Barrett’s confirmation hearings before the Senate, as he serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will oversee the proceedings. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), another member of the Judiciary Committee, has also tested positive. The new coronavirus is rapidly spreading through the upper echelons of government and the Republican party. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive, as have a number of White House staff.
