Montana politician Greg Gianforte halts campaigning after potential COVID-19 exposure from Kimberly Guilfoyle
A Montana politician is temporarily off the campaign trail because of Donald Trump Jr.‘s girlfriend.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte, who currently represents the Treasure State in Congress, has halted in-person campaigning after Trump’s squeeze, Kimberly Guilfoyle, tested positive for COVID-19, reported CNN on Saturday.
The drastic move comes on the heels of Gianforte’s wife, Susan, and his running mate, Kristen Juras, attending an event earlier tin the week in which Guilfoyle was in attendance, noted NBC Montana.
Guilfoyle, the 51-year-old former Fox News pundit, received her coronavirus diagnosis prior to President Trump’s Mount Rushmore campaign rally on Friday.
“Out of an abundance of caution and for the health and safety of others, they will self-quarantine, be tested for COVID-19 and suspend in-person campaign events pending test results,” commented a Gianforte spokesman.
At the time of the coronavirus revelation, Gianforte had been in Washington, the spokesman noted.
This is Gianforte’s second bid for the governor’s mansion after falling short in 2016 to current governor Steve Bullock, who’s opposing Steve Daines for one of Montana’s Senate seats.
An ardent Donald Trump backer, Gianforte made headlines during his 2017 special election to Congress when he assaulted The Guardian political reporter Ben Jacobs.
Trump lauded Gianforte’s brutish behavior at the time, stating, “Any guy who can do a body slam . . . he’s my guy.”
Gianforte eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to community service and paid a $50,000 fine to the Committee to Protect Journalists, according to reports.
The Montana politician is not the first notable Republican bigwig trying to dodge COVID-19.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander self-quarantined in May for two weeks after an office staffer contracted coronavirus, according to CNN.
