President Donald Trump was furious at top advisers over a decision to let 14 Americans who tested positive for coronavirus to return to the United States from Japan, after he was assured they’d stay in quarantine overseas, The Washington Post reported.
Trump and the administration’s coronavirus task force were told last Saturday that Americans who’d been in quarantine for weeks aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship would be brought home on two chartered planes — but that patients who had symptoms or the infection itself would stay in Japan.
Trump was briefed on the decision and agreed that healthy passengers should not be on the plane with sick ones, The Post reported, citing unnamed administration officials.
But the State Department and a top U.S. health official ultimately decided to bring back the 14 Americans who tested positive for the virus on the planes and place them in isolation — without informing Trump first.
Trump learned of the decision after the fact and was angry he wasn’t consulted first, complaining that the decision could damage his administration’s handling of the response, The Post reported.
Trump has since had several calls with top White House officials to say he should have been told, that it should have been his decision and that he did not agree with the decision that was made.