Top Trump aide Stephen Miller can be added to the list of people connected to the White House who have tested positive for the coronavirus:
“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,” Miller said in a statement.
After working from home for several days, Miller showed up to work Tuesday and tested positive, a source familiar with what happened told CNN. He is the latest official caught up in an outbreak at the White House that has seen at least 10 others test positive. He’s also the latest member of the President’s team who prepped him for last week’s presidential debate to test positive.
The other issue people are raising here is that Miller’s wife is the spokesman for VP Pence:
Miller is married to Katie Miller, the communications director for Vice President Mike Pence. Katie Miller was one of the earliest Trump aides to get coronavirus, back in May; the couple are expecting their first child.
Miller was working from home before the diagnosis so was likely in contact with with his wife at a time when he was ill and potentially even contagious. However, while it’s possible that Katie Miller could catch the virus a second time, second infections so far appear to be pretty rare.
Scientists from Hong Kong recently reported on the case of a young, healthy man who recovered from a bout of Covid-19 only to be re-infected more than four months later. Using genome sequencing of the virus, they could prove he caught it twice because the virus strains were different.
Experts say re-infection isn’t surprising, but it’s likely to be rare, and larger studies are needed to understand why this might happen.
All of that to say, there’s probably no danger to VP Pence from interacting with Katie Miller because she probably won’t catch the disease again even if her husband was contagious at home.
Naturally, the reactions to this online are about what you would expect. Miller’s work on immigration for the White House has made him a frequent target of the left and today some are celebrating:
I cannot imagine being part of a moral system that isn’t happy that Stephen Miller is suffering and might die. Wishing evil people the best is cringe af
— David Klion (@DavidKlion) October 7, 2020
Thoughts and prayers to all the people whose lives Stephen Miller has destroyed.
— Dr. Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) October 7, 2020
Stephen Miller has Covid.
Perhaps quarantine isolation in a chain link cage with a cement floor and a Mylar blanket for a couple weeks will help him feel better.
I know it will help me feel better.
— The True American (@TheTrueAmerica5) October 7, 2020
I thought covid only occurred in-warm blooded animals… #StephenMiller
— Brett Erlich 🇺🇸 (@bretterlich) October 7, 2020
I don't have a good Stephen Miller joke. He's a piece of shit. Fuck him. He doesn't deserve my time coming up with a witty pun. Nazi fuckwad.
— Miles Kahn (@mileskahn) October 7, 2020
Someone just told me that Stephen Miller contracting Covid-19 was "Karmic retribution."
I was like, "Karmic retribution against Miller, or Covid-19?"
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 7, 2020
I hope Stephen Miller’s doctor and nurses are all immigrants.
— Molly McNearney (@mollymcnearney) October 6, 2020
Anyway, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The jokes and outright hopes for his death are still ramping up online.
