Daily US Times: President Trump has hosted two Hanukkah events at the White House, defying Covid advice again.
Wednesday’s gatherings occurred on the day 3,053 died, the highest anywhere in the world, according to a tally by the Covid Tracking Project.
Video on social media shows President Trump at one of the parties with the sound of one person coughing in the background. Hanukkah were held to mark the Jewish holiday.
Mr Trump has consistently ignored official advice, despite contracting Covid-19 himself.
More than 100 people attended each of the events, according to the Times of Israel.
Among those in attendance was White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who last month tested positive for coronavirus. Images on social media show him at one event without a facemask, shaking hands with other maskless guests.
President Donald Trump’s Hanukkah parties were among the 25 indoor events planned at the White House over the holiday season.
He has previously defended the events, saying many guests have worn facemasks “and I think that’s a good thing”.
In October, the president made a theatrical return to the White House after spending three days in hospital with Covid-19 – removing his mask in front of reporters despite still being contagious.
Several Republican officials and Trump’s senior aides also fell ill with coronavirus after the president hosted an event in the White House to announce his Supreme Court nomination of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett.
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