MSNBC national affairs analyst John Heilemann cast doubt over President Trump's claim that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against the coronavirus.
On Monday, Trump announced that he was taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, to prevent COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine, however, has not been approved as a therapeutic for the coronavirus. During a segment on Deadline: White House, Heilemann doubted that Trump was actually taking the drug and wondered if the president merely wants people to think he is.
"I think there’s a high probability that he’s really not taking the drug, and I think you would need to have some real evidence to suggest that this is not just another tall tale of his," Heilemann said before pointing out that Trump has repeatedly touted the drug.
"I think the reality is, he’s been so thoroughly rebuked on his advocacy of this drug that it stands on some level to reason that he would want people to think, having told everyone else to take it, that he himself is taking it even though he’s not, in fact, taking it. And again, I have no evidence for supposition," he added.
Following Heilemann's remarks, the White House confirmed that the president was taking the drug. Physician Sean Conley explained that he and Trump discussed the president using hydroxychloroquine after several members of the White House staff tested positive for COVID-19.
"After numerous discussions he and I had regarding the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks," he said.