This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
On a day when US COVID-19 deaths surpassed 90,000, President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he is taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug not suitable for fighting the novel coronavirus, according to his own government experts.
Trump, who has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms, said he has been taking the drug as a preventative measure for about a week and a half.
"I take a pill every day," he said, adding that he combines this with zinc.
Trump's use of the medicine was approved by the White House physician, Sean Conley, but the President insisted that he, not the doctor, took the first step.
"I asked him, 'what do you think?' He said, 'if you'd like it.' I said 'yeah, I'd like it," Trump said.
However, Trump's decision to take the drug has been met with concerns from medical professionals and lawmakers, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling it "not a good idea" and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer describing it as "reckless".
"It gives people false hope, has people avoid real medical attention, and can actually cause them trouble. It is just dangerous what he did," Schumer said.
Trump's latest remarks came as the US struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19, with the country's death toll nearing a third of the global total.
