Despite warnings, Trump defends use of hydroxychloroquine

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his use of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, as a preventative measure against the coronavirus, or COVID-19, despite warnings that it can cause heart problems.

“I think it gives you an additional level of safety,” Trump told reporters after attending an event with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. “But you can ask many doctors who are in favor of it. Many frontline workers won’t go there unless they have the hydroxy.”

“This is an individual decision to make,” he added. “But it’s had a great reputation and if it was somebody else other than me people would say, ‘Gee isn’t that smart.'”

Trump told reporters on Monday that he has taken hydroxychloroquine, which he has touted as a potential treatment for the coronavirus, on a daily basis.

“A couple of weeks ago, I started taking it,” he said. “All I can tell you is, so far I seem to be OK.”