Top Trump aide Stephen Miller becomes 24th person with White House ties to contract virus

WASHINGTON, DC -- Top White House staffer Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and speechwriter, tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday.

Miller had previously tested negative as White House officials tried to contain an outbreak on the complex that has infected Trump, the first lady and up to two dozen other aides and associates.

"Over the last 5 days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday. Today, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine," Miller said in a statement.

He is an architect of the president’s “America First” foreign policy and restrictive immigration measures.

Miller became one the highest profile White House advisers in part because of his hardline immigration views, and has championed the President's message that the coronavirus pandemic doesn't represent an outsized threat to the U.S.

Leading the writing team that crafted Trump's final Republican National Convention speech, Miller helped to put forward a misleading message from the President that predicted a quick resolution to the ongoing crisis using dubious claims and figures.

His wife, Katie Miller, who serves as communications director to Vice President Mike Pence, previously had the virus and tested negative after the last time she saw him.

Katie Miller had been in Salt Lake City with Pence, where he is preparing to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but she left as soon as she found out about her husband’s diagnosis.

There are now at least 24 Covid-19 cases with White House ties.