Savannah Guthrie Pressing on Donald Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis Draws out Strong Response From Social Media

Allison Schonter

10/16/2020 12:13 pm EDT

Thursday night's NBC town hall with President Donald Trump saw the president tackling a number of hard-pressing topics, including everything from the QAnon conspiracy group to his debts and his reelection campaign. At one point during the night, Today host Savannah Guthrie, who moderated the event, pressed the president on his coronavirus diagnosis in a moment that drew plenty of reactions on Twitter.

The Thursday evening event, held in Miami at the same time ABC held a town hall with Joe Biden, saw Guthrie pushing the president on questions lingering around his COVID-19 diagnosis, including whether or not he had been tested on the day of the first presidential debate. The president had announced his diagnosis on Oct. 2, just days after the first debate. Asked by Guthrie, "did you test the day of the debate," Trump responded, "I don't know. I don't even remember. Guthrie, however, continued to press, asking if Trump took "a test the day of the debate." The president replied, "I probably did."

The moment, along with several other moments from the night, drew plenty of reactions on social media. Several viewers pointed out that Trump has long claimed he has a great memory, though who had somehow failed to remember something as important as a coronavirus test. Others simply took issue with the fact that Trump was again not being clear, while even more praised Guthrie for pushing the president on the topics brought up at the town hall.

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The president had announced his diagnosis in a tweet just after midnight on Oct. 2. In that tweet, he said that both he and First Lady Melania Trump "tested positive for COVID-19." He added, "we will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"

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It has since been revealed that shortly after they received their positive diagnoses, their 14-year-old son, Barron Trump, also tested positive. According to the first lady, Barron did not experience any symptoms of the virus.

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Although the president confirmed his diagnoses on Oct. 2, questions have remained regarding jut when he had contracted the virus. Senior White House advisor Hope Hicks had tested positive for the virus on Oct. 1 after having fallen ill just the day prior. She had attended the first presidential debate and had also traveled aboard Air Force One with the president just a day later, on the day she began experiencing symptoms.

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According to White House physician Dr. Sean Conley, he had "received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus" on the evening on Oct. 1. The couple publicly confirmed their diagnoses just hours later.

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The positive test results of Trump and Hicks marked the first of what would become a string of positive coronavirus diagnoses from the White House. It is unclear when or how each individual contracted the virus, though it had been speculated that a Sept. 26 White House event introducing Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett could have acted as a "super spreader" event.

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On Oct. 13, Dr. Conley confirmed that the president had tested negative for the virus on consecutive days and had other tests taken, including RNA and PCR cycle threshold measurements. He did not specify when the president had received the negative tests.

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Trump has since returned to the campaign trail to make his final push for votes ahead of the election. On Thursday, Hicks joined him on his two-day trip to North Carolina and Florida. Many of those accompanying the president were seen not wearing face masks.

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