Jen Psaki cancels her Biden trip to Europe after testing positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms



White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and would thereby miss a scheduled trip to Europe with President Joe Biden.

“Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the president’s trip to Europe,” Psaki said in a statement emailed to reporters Tuesday.

She added that she had been in contact with the president on Monday but that he tested negative for the virus on Tuesday.

“I had two socially distanced meetings with the president yesterday, and the president is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance,” Psaki continued. “I am sharing the news of my positive test today out of an abundance of transparency.”

She said that she was experiencing mild symptoms and that she would work from home until she completed a five-day quarantine and tested negative for the virus.

The scheduled media briefing proceeded with deputy press secretary Chris Meagher taking her place. Meagher told reporters that the White House was conducting a contact tracing for Psaki's interactions.

Psaki had previously tested positive for the coronavirus in October, despite being fully vaccinated.

“A complete professional and great colleague. Thanks to @chrismeagher46 for jumping in today with hardly any notice. (Also sorry the podium is so low),” she tweeted later about her replacement.

Psaki is reportedly being pursued by MSNBC and CNN cable news channels to possibly become the "next Rachel Maddow." She has previously said she intends to leave the position at the White House in 2022. Maddow has said that she wants to scale back her responsibilities on her daily show on MSNBC.

Here's more about Psaki's positivity:

Jen Psaki tests positive for COVIDwww.youtube.com

White House chief of staff says president might be discharged Monday, takes aim at critics upset that Trump briefly left hospital over the weekend



White House chief of staff Mark Meadows says that he and the administration are optimistic about President Donald Trump being able to return to the White House on Monday following his COVID-19 diagnosis.

Trump spent the weekend at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he received treatment for the coronavirus infection.

Meadows also hit out at leftists and some of the media who seethed after the president briefly left the hospital on Sunday to greet supporters.

What are the details of a possible discharge?

Meadows told Fox News Monday morning that the president's health has improved overnight and that Trump is set to go back to a "normal working schedule."

"Spoke to the president this morning," he said. "He continued to improve overnight and is ready to get back to a normal working schedule. [Trump] will meet with his doctors and nurses this morning to make further assessments of his progress."

"We are still optimistic that he will be able to return to the White House later today, with his medical professionals making that determination later today," he added.

Meadows lauded the expertise of the doctors and medical professionals at Walter Reed.

"His treatment has been remarkable," Meadows said. "His strength has been incredible."

Meadows added that Trump is "not only understanding what millions of Americans have had to face as they've come in contact with this disease, but more importantly, the fact that we need to continue work on therapeutics."

The outlet added that Trump has received several doses of Remdisivir, an anti-viral drug, to combat the effects of the coronavirus.

What did he say about the outrage following Trump's trip outside?

Meadows ridiculed critics on Monday by pointing out the obvious: "How do they think he got here?"

"We came here on Marine One, the U.S. Secret Service agent that is with him has been with him, and yet we took additional precautions with PPE and others to make sure they were protected," Meadows explained Monday morning. "A number of folks are trying to make a big deal about that when I know myself and Secret Service details are with him everyday and want him to return to the White House as expeditiously as possible."

As TheBlaze reported on Monday, many of Trump's critics castigated the administration for what they said was the president putting people's lives at risk by leaving the medical facility.

"I would hope that if any harm comes to those agents the attorney general of MD will indict Trump for reckless endangerment, assault (yes the virus he gives off count), etc.," the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin said in a now-viral tweet.

She later added, "The GOP is a death cult. There is only one pro-life party and it's not them."

Despite the criticism, Trump's temporary leave was approved.

"Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the President and all those supporting it, including PPE. The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do," Judd Deere, deputy White House press secretary, said in a statement following the move.