President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to feign mock excitement over Sen. Mitt Romney’s announcement of his negative coronavirus test, tweeting glibly about the global public health threat now bearing down on members of Congress.

Sharing online an article from the alt-right media outlet Breitbart News regarding the Utah Republican’s test results, Trump wrote: “This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse U.S. Senator, but he is a RINO, and I like him a lot!”


The president’s post came hours after Romney tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that he had tested negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Romney was tested after he came into close contact with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who tested positive and has faced intense criticism for potentially infecting other lawmakers.