Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) has tested positive for the novel coronavirus ahead of his planned trip with President Donald Trump.
The Republican was slated to travel with the president on Air Force One for a campaign fundraising event at an oil rig in Midland, according to Fox News.
In a video posted to his Twitter account Wednesday afternoon, Gohmert disclosed he has tested positive for COVID-19 but said he has, so far, been “asymptomatic.”
On Tuesday, Gohmert attended an hours-long hearing on Capitol Hill, where Attorney General William Barr testified. Kerri Kupec, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, said Barr will be tested Wednesday for COVID-19 because of his proximity to the Texas lawmaker.
Gohmert, who done much — but not all — of his business in Washington, D.C., without a mask, was very close to Barr at one point.
As for why he hasn’t been wearing a facial covering, Gohmert told CNN in June he was being tested regularly for COVID-19. Trump, for his part, has used the same reasoning to defend his decision to not wear a mask, though he has been seen wearing one during recent appearances.
The president encouraged Americans to wear masks earlier this month, calling the practice “patriotic.”