President Donald Trump said Monday that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine preventatively for coronavirus _ even though his own medical experts say the drug can be deadly and should absolutely not be administered outside hospital settings.
Speaking in the White House State Dining Room, Trump said he's been taking the unproven drug once a day for nearly two weeks.
He said he hasn't tested positive for COVID-19 and that he only started popping hydroxychloroquine pills because he has gotten "a lot of positive calls" about the drug, which is most commonly used to treat malaria. He also said that the White House physician gave him approval to take the drug.
"If it is not good, I will tell you right away. I'm not going to get hurt by it," Trump said.
Trump made the stunning revelation seemingly off-the-cuff while railing against Dr. Richard Bright, a Department of Health and Human Services whistleblower who said he was pressured to advocate for hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 cure despite concerns about the drug's effectiveness.
Without offering evidence, Trump claimed Bright's assertion was "crazy" because "a lot of doctors take" hydroxychloroquine.
"All I can tell you is so far I seem to be OK," Trump said. "And I'm still here, I'm still here."
The president also said "a respected doctor" in Westchester County, N.Y., had written him "a very well-crafted letter" about hydroxychloroquine.
A White House spokesman declined to name the doctor or provide the New York Daily News with a copy of the alleged letter.
Trump's own Food and Drug Administration issued guidance on April 24 saying doctors should not prescribe hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 use because it can cause heart problems, especially in people with preexisting heart conditions.
The 73-year-old president himself has elevated cholesterol levels _ a common condition that can increase the risk of heart attacks, according to a recent physical.
The U.S. Veterans Health Administration, a subagency of Trump's own Department of Veterans Affairs, released a study April 23 finding that hydroxychloroquine could actually kill COVID-19 patients who are above 70 or have preexisting conditions.
