They were both tested after one of Mr Trump's most senior advisers hope Hicks found out that she had the virus.

The White House doctor has said both the president and the first lady are well on that.

Mr Trump will continue to carry out his duties while he self isolates President Trump confirmed the news on Twitter, saying that he on the first lady will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately on that they will get through this together.

Well, this is the scene live in Washington, D.

C, where it's a little after 4 30 in the morning.

We're going to be getting reaction from there.

As the US wakes up to the news that Donald and Melania Trump have contracted Covert 19.

While a short while ago, our North America editor, John Sopa, explained how President Trump could have contracted the virus.

It's simultaneously astonishing that the president, who is so well protected where testing happens so much, could have contracted virus the virus on also not in the least bit surprising, given the ambivalent attitude in the White House towards wearing face masks, and you talk about this very close aide and confidante Hope Hicks, having contracted it earlier in the week.

And there is a film of her on four other people walking to the Marine one helicopter, that cramped helicopter that takes the president on those people from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base.

None of them a wearing masks a tall, and that sort of underlines the problem that you can have all the protection you need.

But actually, if you haven't got the masks mitigating it, then that could be problematic and probably is how it spread.

Donald Trump is 74 years old.

The last full medical report we had said that he was obese, those air to comb abilities that go with Covitz.

That said, the physician's report, I thought, was very upbeat in its assessment, although very early days ago, because it says that he thinks that the president should be able to continue his work uninterrupted while he recuperate on DSO.

No suggestion there that the president needs to step aside on that They need to invoke Article 25 of the Constitution for the vice president to temporarily take over.

But where this leaves the campaign on, you know those small questions like that.

Who knows John So Polar North America editor While before his positive test for covert president, Trump spoke to Fox News about his close aide, Hope Hicks.

Aunt.

Her positive test.

She did test positive.

I just heard about this.

She tested positive.

She's a hard worker, a lot of masks.

She's wears masks a lot, but she tested positive.

Then I just went out with a test.

I'll see what you know because we spent a lot of time in The first lady just went out with a test also.

Well, first lady Melania Trump posted on Twitter as well, following the news that she and the U.

S.

President had tested positive for coronavirus, she said, As too many Americans have done this year, the president and I are quarantining at home after testing positive for covert 19.

We're feeling good, she wrote, and I have postponed all upcoming engagements.

Please be sure you were staying safe on.

We will all get through this together on Vice president Mike Pence tweeted Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends, President Trump and the first lady.

We joined millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery.

God bless you, President Trump, on our wonderful first lady, Melania.

World leaders have also been tweeting their reaction, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said, wishing my friend President Trump and the first lady a quick recovery on good health here in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who himself contracted coronavirus earlier this year, said he sends his best wishes to President Trump and the first lady hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus.

He wrote on the director general off the World Health Organization has sent his best wishes to the president and the first lady for a full on speedy recovery.

Well, we're joined now by Professor Kimberly Nelda off California State University director off the project for an informed electorate.

Thank you very much, Professor, for joining us today.

I mean your reaction to this news.

First of all, surprised, not surprised.

It is not surprising in terms off his exposure and his lack of precautions in terms of the virus.

If you think back to the the convention that was held up on the White House lawn.

It was almost a Ziff.

There was no Kobe going on.

No one had masks.

They weren't distancing.

And that's been sort of the case with many of his events s, so it's not surprising that he has it, but it's still a shock because it has major implications for election and for you know, just what happens in the country in the next coming months.

I just want to pick up on that right away, actually, because you referred to his appearance from the White House lawn to the Republican convention.

But But, of course, there was quite a lot of controversy controversy around that wasn't there because the White House is a federal building isn't supposed to be used for campaigning.

So how do you think the president is going to handle that given he can't campaign out and about in the next couple of weeks and the election is just four weeks away?

Uh, you know, frankly, he doesn't blocks laws all the time, right?

Especially when it comes to something like the hatch or several of the acts.

So he's, you know, he'll be forced to toe do campaign events from the White House.

But I think you know he's not going.

Thio suffer a lot of consequences for that.

That's understandable under these conditions.

One thing, though, Do you think in the circumstances he should be allowed?

Thio?

You know, he probably will, as you say.

But do you think there's an issue with that?

Given that he has Kovar 19?

Yeah, I think it seems it seems reasonable.

I don't think that that he's going Thio be brought up on charges and taken to court over it, right?

It's very understandable.

In fact, it's advisable.

We would certainly prefer that he do that instead of go out and campaign like he was planning Thio in person, bringing lots of people together, exposing more people to this.

I risked attention on what bearing do you think his contracting the virus is going to have on the vote on these remaining few weeks?

I mean, frankly, how would it play out if he either remains well or if he was to become ill?

Well, one of the things that that is the main appeal that he has for people is is kind of brash, combative, strongman style, and if he appears weak if he appears sick and you know, especially if it gets intubated or you know he's on a ventilator, that sort of thing.

I mean, that would really undercut that image of him, even if it's subconscious for people.

So that would be a big concern for him if he did get especially sick.

Um, if he's well, I imagine that that he'll say, See, you know it's not that big of a deal and it will reinforce that message that he's been pushing along.

Okay, Professor Kimberly Nelda from California State University.

Thank you very much for your time today.

Let's talk now.

Thio Laurie, Lead, who is an American political commentator and economist.

She joins us now, thank you very much.

Loria's well for joining us on BBC News.

What's your reaction to this?

We've had, you know, the president as, um, you know, some would say, an out and out covert denier.

He's perhaps been forced more recently on a few occasions into wearing masks, but it's not his his natural way.

Is it to wear a mask or to socially distance eso?

What do you make of the fact that he now has the virus and how he's going to cope with it on the bearing it might have on the election.

Well, I think like so many of your guests, this comes as a shock, but not a surprise.

We know that Donald Trump is not often wearing Mask, and I was watching his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett last weekend on the In the Rose Garden at the White House.

Nobody had a mask on it.

It harked back to you earlier, days before pre coded days.

He didn't have a mask.

Judge Barrett didn't have a mask.

None of the assembled guests had a mass.

We know Donald Trump doesn't like to wear a mask.

We know that he's mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask.

Kind of, you know, questions his masculinity.

So it isn't all that surprising.

I think there are a couple of big questions, though.

One is how sick will Donald Trump gets.

So many of your guests have mentioned that he is a high risk area.

He is clinically obese.

He is over the age of 70 and it's it's sort of ironic.

Donald Trump has mocked Joe Biden from being so elderly.

Donald Trump's only three years younger than Joe Biden.

He is in a high risk area.

We know that his college was caught very quickly.

He is probably one of the most tested men in the world.

Could his condition deteriorate?

That is a very big question.

The other question is, who has he been in contact with?

The president is in contact with so very many people during the course of a day.

Economic advisers, national security advisers, campaign advisers.

It's not unlikely it's not impossible that so many AIDS from so many different bits of ultimately that could include people involved in the nomination process of Judge Barrett people involved in coming up with a stimulus plan on the economic side.