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Trump paid price for 'gamble to play down Covid-19' and it may hurt his re-election, says China president's ally

Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of state-owned tabloid Global Times, is a passionate ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping

A senior journalist known to have close ties to the Communist Party of China has claimed President Donald Trump is "paying the price" for "playing down the pandemic" shortly after his diagnosis became public. Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of state-owned tabloid Global Times, is a passionate ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping. His distasteful remarks came after Trump, 74, and his wife Melania, 50, tested positive for Covid-19 and entered a period of quarantine at the White House, The Sun reported.

"President Trump and the First Lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the Covid-19," Hu declared on Twitter. "The news shows the severity of the US’s pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his re-election."

While Hu does not hold public office himself, the Global Times publishes propaganda on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party as one of the numerous state-run outlets in the country.

Trump has been accused of trying to "play down" the severity of the pandemic as it plagued the United States, but the Chinese regime has faced serious allegations of trying to cover up the public health crisis in its earliest stages. Several medical professionals have complained about being harassed and detained by CCP officials after they tried to alert the world via social media. Meanwhile, several journalists who tried to report on the issue were targeted and had their equipment confiscated for the same.

Trump announced his and Melania's positive diagnoses on Twitter last night.  "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19," he wrote. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!"

It came after one of the President's closes advisors, Hope Hicks, tested positive on Wednesday, September 30. "Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid-19. Terrible!" Trump tweeted shortly after Hicks's diagnosis. "The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!"

Addressing the news, White House physician Sean Conley released a memorandum this morning revealing that both the President and First Lady were "well at this time" and would remain within the confines of the White House for a period of convalescence.  "I release the following information with the permission of President Donald J Trump and First Lady Melania Trump," he wrote. "This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence."

"The White House Medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country's greatest medical professionals and institutions," Conley added. "Rest assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments."