Rep. Louie Gohmert's Daughter Speaks Out About His COVID-19 Diagnosis: 'Ignored Medical Expertise'

Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty; Amanda Edwards/WireImage From left: Rep. Louie Gohmert and Caroline Gohmert

One of Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert's daughters has spoken out about his recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

On Friday, Caroline Gohmert — a singer who performs as Caroline Brooks and BELLSAINT — posted on social media about the "heartbreaking battle" and urged people to heed the warnings of medical professionals, which she said her father had not done.

"Wearing a mask is a non-partisan issue," Caroline wrote on Twitter. "The advice of medical experts shouldn't be politicized. My father ignored medical expertise and now he has COVID."

"This has been a heartbreaking battle bc I love my dad and don't want him to die. Please please listen to medical experts," she continued, before slamming President Donald Trump's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. "It's not worth following a president who has no remorse for leading his followers to an early grave."

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A representative for Rep. Gohmert did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Caroline has seemingly spoken bluntly about her dad before, last year releasing a song with the lyrics: "You get away with everything / Much like my father."

The 66-year-old Republican congressman had regularly declined to wear a mask amid pandemic prior to contracting the respiratory illness last week.

He tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday morning during a pre-flight screening at the White House before he was set to board Air Force One to head to West Texas with Trump, where the president was set to fundraise and tour an oil rig.

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Gohmert told local TV station KETK that he would isolate himself for the next 10 days after testing positive and added that he was asymptomatic.

The lawmaker also responded to criticism that he hasn't been wearing a mask.

"A lot of people have made a big deal out of my not wearing a mask a lot," he told KETK, "but in the last week or two I have worn a mask more than I have in the last four months."

However, an aide suggested to Politico that staffers, who were required to work in person at Gohmert's office, were "berated" if they wore masks.

He later made a statement on Twitter suggesting — without evidence — that perhaps wearing the mask was what actually caused him to catch the coronavirus.

“It is interesting,” Gohmert said in a video, “and I don’t know about everybody, but when I have a mask on I’m moving it to make it comfortable, and I can’t help but wonder if that put some germs in the mask. Keep your hands off your mask? Anyway, who knows?”

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Gohmert is one of growing number of White House aides and politicians who have tested positive for the virus.

A senior Republican aide told CNN last week that Gohmert's test results led to "a lot of staffers" in Congress being ordered to get tests before they could resume normal activity.

According to CNN, Gohmert's office notified Republican leaders who in turn notified medical staff at the House of Representatives and the remaining individuals who need to receive further notification.

Other lawmakers who have been infected include Reps. Mario Diaz Balart, Morgan Griffith, Ben McAdams and Neal Dunn, along with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

Other representatives tested positive after Gohmert's diagnosis, such as Rep. Raul Grijalva.

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