Trump says he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, unproven drug he’s touted for COVID-19

[ABC NEWS]

In a surprise, he said he’s been taking the drug despite having no symptoms.

President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters he’s been taking hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug he’s touted as a possible “game changer” treatment for COVID-19.

He said he asked the White House doctor if he could take the unproven treatment despite having no symptoms, adding he’s been taking a pill a day for about a week and a half.

“I’m still fine,” he said, referring to possible dangerous side effects.”

The FDA last month specifically warned against taking hydroxychloroquine “outside of a hospital setting or a clinical trial due to risk of heart rhythm problems.”

I asked him, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘Well if you’d like it.'” I said, ‘Yeah I’d like it. I’d like to take it. A lot of people to take it a lot of frontline workers are taking hydroxychloroquine.” Trump claimed. “So, I’m taking the zinc and the hydroxy. And all I can tell you is, so far I seem to be okay.”

The president said he’s received “a lot of positive letters” offering good feedback of hydroxychloroquine and insisted even if it’s not effective, he claimed, “You’re not going to get sick or die.”

By Libby Cathey, Ben Gittleson and Jordyn Phelps