Biden asks ‘what in God’s name is he doing’ after Trump said he’s taking hydroxychloroquine to ward off COVID-19 – The Sun

JOE Biden slammed President Donald Trump on Tuesday for taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure for coronavirus.

The former vice president said during a Yahoo News town hall: "It's like saying, 'Maybe if you inject Clorox into your blood, it may cure you.’”

“C’mon, man! What is he doing? What in God’s name is he doing?”

Trump announced on Monday that he has been taking the anti-malaria drug as a precaution “for about a week and a half now.”

“I started taking it, because I think it’s good,” Trump said. “I’ve heard a lot of good stories.”

The president said his doctor didn’t recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician, Dr Sean Conley.

Conley later released a statement that said after “numerous discussions” with Trump about hydroxychloroquine, “we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks.”

On Wednesday, Trump said he's finishing his hydroxychloroquine prescription in two days.

Despite Trump’s push for the drug, medical experts and health officials have advised against it.

The Food and Drug Administration warned last month that the drug should not be used to treat COVID-19 outside of hospital or research settings, due to sometimes fatal side effects.

Regulators issued an alert for the drug after getting reports about heart rhythm problems, including deaths, from poison control centers and other health providers.

Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, said on Wednesday: “There’s no serious medical person out there saying to use that drug.”

“It’s counterproductive. It’s not going to help, but the president, he decided that’s an answer.”

Biden added: “Look at the studies that have been done. It does much more harm than good. This is totally irresponsible.”

But Trump dismissed reports of side effects, saying, “All I can tell you is, so far I seem to be OK.”

After Trump’s revelation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “He’s our president, and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and his, shall we say, weight group … morbidly obese, they say.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, called Trump’s remarks “dangerous.”

“Maybe he’s really not taking it because the president lies about things characteristically,” Schumer said.

“I don’t know whether he is taking it or not. I know him saying he is taking it, whether he is or not, is reckless, reckless, reckless.“

Kansas Rep Roger Marshall, a Republican obstetrician, said he was “relieved” to hear Trump is taking hydroxychloroquine — and added that his family has been taking the drug “prophylactically.”

“I would encourage any person over the age of 65 or with an underlying medical condition to talk to their own physician about taking hydroxychloroquine and I’m relieved President Trump is taking it,” he said.

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