McConnell Reveals He Has Not Been To the White House in Two Months Due To COVID-19 Concerns

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he speaks to President Donald Trump frequently. Still, he has avoided visiting the White House over concerns that officials had not implemented adequate safety procedures for COVID-19.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, McConnell said, “I haven’t actually been to the White House since August the 6th.”

“Because my impression was that their approach to how to handle this is different from mine and what I suggested that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing,” he explained.

Later, McConnell said, “I personally didn’t feel that were approaching the protection from this illness in the same way that I thought was appropriate for the Senate.”

McConnell’s comments come about a week after Trump tested positive for COVID-19. After the president’s positive test, three Republican senators, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, and 34 White House staffers and “other contacts” tested positive for the virus.

Congressional leaders have demanded answers and transparency about the outbreak as they accused White House officials of withholding critical information.

In a letter, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “We call on you to immediately provide a thorough and complete description of what, if any, contact tracing regimen has been instituted to prevent further spread of the virus, and detailed information about the progress of that effort, if it exists.”