The UK has refused to condemn Donald Trump for using an unproven drug that his own government has warned could be "dangerous".
The President prompted shock last night when he revealed he has been taking the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for a week and a half.
He claimed: "I've had a lot of good stories, and if it's not good, I'm not going to get hurt by it."
Yet the US Food and Drug Administration is warning not to take the drug to treat coronavirus outside of hospitals or clinical trials.
The FDA said it can cause a "dangerously rapid heart rate", especially when combined with certain other drugs, and "has not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19".
Trump was slammed today by the UK's former chief scientific advisor Sir David King, who declared "every word he says should be ignored".
Sir David told ITV: "This is not the pronouncements of a person who is listening to the scientists. He is making it up as he goes along."
Yet the UK government refused to condemn Trump.
Instead Downing Street said: "It's not something which our own medical experts are recommending".
Cabinet minister Therese Coffey told BBC Breakfast: "I think it surprised a lot of people last night when President Trump announced this.
"However, that really is a matter between him and his clinician rather than the government of the UK.
“What we are seeing is good ongoing work about situations regarding things like the vaccine development.”
Asked if the comments were "irresponsible", she said: “I really think it’s a matter between him and his clinician which I do not want to comment on."
It is not the first time the UK has refused to criticise the notoriously prickly US President.
Last month Downing Street refused to condemn the President for suggesting people could inject disinfectant into their lungs.
Trump previously said as Dr Deborah Birx, the head of White House coronavirus response, looked on aghast: “I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute.
"And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?
“Because you see, it gets on the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs.
"So it’d be interesting to check that. So that you’re going to have to use medical doctors, but it sounds - it sounds interesting to me.”
The President later claimed he was being "sarcastic" but there were reports of some US citizens drinking disinfectant after his comments.
England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries said at the time: "Nobody should be injecting anything.
"We should be using evidence-based and properly trialled treatments that we know will be safe."
But ministers and No10 refused to join the criticism.
Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: "We can only speak to the UK response and in terms of disinfectant, I’m certainly not aware that it’s anything that’s being recommended."
How the UK government has avoided attacking Donald Trump over coronavirus
May 19
When the President said he was taking an unproven malaria drug with possible serious side-effects, Cabinet minister Therese Coffey said it "surprised a lot of people" but added: "That really is a matter between him and his clinician rather than the Government of the UK."
April 24
When the President suggested injecting disinfectant, Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: "We can only speak to the UK response and in terms of disinfectant, I’m certainly not aware that it’s anything that’s being recommended."
April 24
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps swerved the question on whether Donald Trump should be condemned for talking about disinfectant, telling the daily press conference: “I think here I’ll defer to medical expertise."
April 15
When Donald Trump threatened to de-fund the World Health Organisation, Boris Johnson's spokesman said: "I can only set out the UK’s position and that is that we have no plans to stop funding the WHO." He added the WHO "has an important role to play leading the global health response."
