A news anchor had to correct himself after slipping up during a broadcast on Monday where he mistakenly said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany "tested positive for cocaine."
“Another member of Donald Trump’s inner circle testing positive for cocaine,” NY1 news anchor Pat Kiernan said on Monday.
@patkiernan Of course they are on cocaine ???????????? My favorite news anchor pic.twitter.com/U8GxUaCLx0
— Zendelle Adriel ☄️???? (@ZendelleP) October 5, 2020
The well-known New York-area anchor quickly acknowledged his mistake and told the audience he meant COVID-19, which is now running rampant throughout the White House and senior ranks of the U.S. Government, according to The New York Times.
"Yes. COVID. There's enough going on without adding another dimension. Apologies for the error," Kiernan later tweeted.
Yes. COVID. There's enough going on without adding another dimension. Apologies for the error.
— Pat Kiernan (@patkiernan) October 5, 2020
Fans of Kiernan said it was hilarious to hear on air.
Don't apologize, it was hysterical!
— r3tLaW (@r3tL4W) October 5, 2020
It was an honest mistake Pat. But it was funny..tho..
— GeVang (@GeVang76) October 6, 2020
Dunno — until she doesn’t test positive for it…. I’d let the statement stand as is…. ????
— Gregg Lewis (@RadioCut) October 6, 2020
Some people noted the numerous drug accusations that people around the president, including his son Donald Trump Jr., have faced.
In the last few months, Don Jr. has had to shoot down multiple rumors that he's appeared on the campaign trail for his father while being under the influence. After his speech at the Republican National Convention in August, dozens of news outlets and comedians clowned him for the glassy look in his eyes.
“I guess there must have been something with the lighting. They started doing this trending thing — ‘Donald Trump Jr.‘s on cocaine’ and all of that. It was pretty ridiculous. When they can’t attack the delivery, when they can’t attack the substance, they gotta attack something,” Don Jr. said on Fox & Friends in August.
Despite denying the rumors, Don Jr. appeared in a campaign video last month where he had a similarly glassy-eyed look that many said was evidence of something strange.
We challenge Donald Trump Jr. to take a drug test. pic.twitter.com/shcfIRnKeX
— The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) September 25, 2020
McEnany tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, joining several White House aides, President Trump and the first lady in contracting the virus.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 5, 2020
On Tuesday, The New York Times revealed that General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was quarantined after being exposed to Admiral Charles Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, who also tested positive for coronavirus.
Along with Milley, several of the military's most senior figures of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are also in quarantine, according to a statement sent to the newspaper from the Defense Department.
“We are aware that Vice Commandant Ray has tested positive for Covid-19 and that he was at the Pentagon last week for meetings with other senior military leaders. Out of an abundance of caution, all potential close contacts from these meetings are self-quarantining and have been tested this morning,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told The New York Times.
The announcement follows overwhelming criticism from public health officials over Trump's decision to leave the hospital while still infected with COVID-19. The CDC says people are still infections for up to two weeks after infection.
Multiple staff members close to him have tested positive for the virus and The Washington Post reported that there are now concerns that the mostly Black staff servicing the White House will be in danger of contracting it as well.
Both Trump and McEnany continue to refuse to wear masks in crowds even after testing positive for COVID-19.
