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COVID-19
Peter Cox, Brian Bakst and Mark Zdechlik

Where Trump went and who he met in Minnesota ahead of testing positive for COVID-19

US-VOTE-TRUMP
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Duluth International Airport in Duluth, Minn., on Wednesday.
Mandel Ngan | AFP via Getty Images

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Updated: Oct. 4, 8:25 a.m.

With news that President Donald Trump, some White House aides and U.S. senators have tested positive for the coronavirus, there are questions about whether there was any spread during a campaign visit to Minnesota earlier this week.

Minnesota Republican Party Chair Jennifer Carnahan said she did not meet with Trump.

“Due to a busy campaign schedule that took me to other parts of the state, I was not at any events involving the President in Minnesota on Wednesday,” she said in a statement.

Here's a look at where Trump went and who he met with.

Shorewood

After landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Trump attended a fundraiser at a private residence in the Twin Cities suburb. Carnahan said there were about 40 people at the event.

"I have not been in contact with any of the donors who had been at that event,” she said. “My understanding as well, they were all required to take a negative COVID test with results within 24 hours of the president's visit to donors, and it is also my understanding that people were not allowed to shake hands or come into that close of contact with the president while he was there.”

Duluth

After the fundraiser, the president flew on Air Force One to Duluth, where he held a hangar rally at the airport there.

The thousands gathered on the tarmac included many who didn’t distance themselves from each other or wear face masks, with the notable exception of those behind the stage and in camera view.

“If you were at the rally on Wednesday, please wear a mask, visit your health care provider to be tested, or go to the DECC to get a free test,” said Duluth Mayor Emily Larson in a statement. “Do everything you can to self-isolate and adhere to Minnesota Department of Health and CDC guidelines to keep yourselves and those around you safe. I truly wish the President, First Lady, and anyone else who has been diagnosed with a full and speedy recovery.”

“It was made clear to the Trump campaign, in the lead up to the event, that compliance with the State of Minnesota’s current public health executive orders was an expectation of the DAA,” the Duluth Airport Authority said in a statement. “At no time did the DAA staff have any contact with President Trump or with anyone that arrived with the president.”

U.S. Reps. Hagedorn, Stauber, Emmer

GOP Reps. Jim Hagedorn, Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber flew with Trump to and from Duluth on Air Force One. Earlier this year, Hagedorn announced he’s being treated for stage 4 kidney cancer.

On Friday afternoon, each said they had been tested earlier in the day and the results came back negative.

Jason Lewis

Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis also posted that he was with the president in Duluth. He said he had no contact with White House staffer Hope Hicks, who has also tested positive.

"Fortunately we maintained social distancing. I did talk to the president but at a distance. I think we're just fine but as a matter of precaution we're going to quarantine until I get a chance to get over to the doctor and get tested," Lewis said during a debate with Sen. Tina Smith on MPR News.

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt greeted Trump when he arrived in Minnesota.

In a statement on Friday, Daudt said he was not experiencing any symptoms but would be tested that day. He said he’d self-quarantine until receiving results. Daudt said in a follow-up statement on Saturday that he tested negative.

Daudt said he also tested negative on Tuesday, ahead of Trump’s visit.

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka

Minnesota’s top state senator said he’ll take coronavirus precautions after greeting the president this week. 

“My wife and I were in close contact with the president. So CDC guidelines talk about the fact that we should get a test and quarantine for two weeks or 14 days. So we will do that," Paul Gazelka said on WCCO Radio Friday. "I think it’s important that people know that this is a pandemic. It’s serious."

He said the quarantine won’t affect his participation in an upcoming special session because rules allow him to vote remotely.