Pelosi Warns Against “Morbidly Obese” President Taking Hydroxychloroquine, Aides Scramble To Defend Trump

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President Donald Trump leaves after an event on the food supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Making himself an example for using a malaria drug against the coronavirus, President Donald Trump sent the White House scrambling Tuesday to defend his decision amid medical concerns the unproven treatment could spark misuse of a medication with potentially fatal side effects.

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Trump’s announcement a day earlier that he was taking the drug, hydroxychloroquine, caught many in his administration by surprise and set off an urgent effort by officials to justify his action. The president’s own government has warned that the drug should be administered for COVID-19 only in a hospital or research setting.

Trump decided to take hydroxychloroquine after two White House staffers tested positive for the coronavirus, but he already had spent months promoting the drug as a potential cure or preventive despite the cautionary advice of many of his administration’s top medical professionals. The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat the virus.

Amid concerns from some public health experts that Trump’s example could send many more people to misuse the drug, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday that “tens of millions of people around the world have used this drug for other purposes,” including malaria prophylaxis. She emphasized that “any use of hydroxychloroquine has to be in consultation with your doctor. You have to have a prescription. That’s the way it must be done.”

The drug is also prescribed for some lupus and arthritis patients.

Trump said his doctor did not recommend hydroxychloroquine to him, but that he requested it from the White House physician.

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

The White House physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said in a statement released through the press office that, after “numerous discussions” with Trump about the evidence for and against using hydroxychloroquine, “we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks.”

The Food and Drug Administration warned health professionals 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 the alert, in part, based on increased reports of dangerous side effects called in to U.S. poison control centers.

Calls to centers involving hydroxychloroquine increased last month to 96, compared with 49 in April 2019, according to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers provided to the AP. It was the second month of elevated reports involving the drug, following 79 calls in March. The problems reported included abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, nausea and vomiting.

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

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in an emailed statement Tuesday: “The decision to take any drug is ultimately a decision between a patient and their doctor.”

Many studies are testing hydroxychloroquine for preventing or limiting coronavirus illness but “at this point in time there’s absolutely no evidence that this strategy works,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University in Atlanta.

“My concern is, the president has a big bully pulpit … maybe people will think there’s some non-public evidence” that the drug works because Trump has chosen to use it, del Rio said. “It creates this conspiracy theory that something works and they’re not telling me about it yet.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN, “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.”

Trump is 73. At his last full checkup in February 2019 he passed the official threshold for being considered obese, with a body mass index of 30.4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a BMI of 40 or above is considered “severe” obesity, which some also call “morbid” obesity.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called Trump’s remarks on the drug dangerous.

“Maybe he’s really not taking it because the president lies about things characteristically,” Schumer said on MSNBC. “I know him saying he is taking it, whether he is or not, is reckless, reckless, reckless.“

At least two White House staffers tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, sparking concerns about the steps taken by the administration to protect the president and sending Vice President Mike Pence and other officials into varying forms of self-isolation.

The White House has since mandated that those in the West Wing wear face coverings and has introduced daily testing for the virus for the president, vice president and those they come in close contact with. Trump says he continues to test negative for the coronavirus.

Trump last underwent an “interim” medical checkup in a November visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that was not noted on his public schedule. His last complete physical took place in February 2019.

Several prominent doctors said they worried that people would infer from Trump’s example that the drug works or is safe.

Dr. Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, said she wouldn’t second-guess Trump’s medical care, but added, “I do want the public to know that the FDA has cautioned against taking this medication” for COVID-19.

“We should all let the science and the evidence guide decisions,” and there isn’t proof yet that the drug helps prevent or treat the disease, she said.

White House officials did not say whether any other administration officials were taking the drug.

Trump said he took hydroxychloroquine with an “original dose” of the antibiotic azithromycin. The president has repeatedly promoted the use of the drug with or without the azithromycin, but no large, rigorous studies have found them safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19.

Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no COVID benefit from hydroxychloroquine. Two new ones published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.

Prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine surged roughly 80% in March to more than 830,000 compared with same period in the prior year, according to data tracking firm IQVIA. That jump in prescribing came before the federal government accepted nearly 30 million doses of the drug donated to the strategic national stockpile by foreign drugmakers. Since then, millions of those tablets have been shipped to U.S. hospitals nationwide for use treating patients with COVID-19.


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54 Comments
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Yoni
Yoni
3 years ago

Under the guidelines that I’ve seen a 73 year old obese man wouldn’t be allowed to attend shul one our shuls reopen.

Maven
Maven
3 years ago

If one will google you will find that Hydroxychloroquine has about 90 Percent chance of helping COVID-19 Patients.

I happen to know numerous people who took and it B’H helped.

How low politicians can get that if Trump promotes the medication they will do anything to badmouth it. All of a sudden Pelosi is concerned about Trumps health.

Shameful!

Steven Wright
Steven Wright
3 years ago

Pelosi, who is morbidly stupid, should rip up a copy of his prescription.

Jay Orchard
Jay Orchard
3 years ago

Trum announcing that he’s taking hydoxychloroquine to prevent infection from coronavirus has thrown the entire White House staff for a lupus.

Educated Archy
Educated Archy
3 years ago

30.4 is barley obese when the line is 30.

Jay Orchard
Jay Orchard
3 years ago

Typical Trump – taking hyrdoxychloroquine because he heard alot of “good stories” about it. Hey Trump – I’ve got a good story for you – it’s about the President who resigned when he finally realized just how in over his head he was.

TAKA TAKA
TAKA TAKA
3 years ago

He should use bleach. It didn’t work for the first 15. Now its 91,000 dead in USA. MAGA!

Lala lila
Lala lila
3 years ago

91000 ????
You parrot lies. In truth, it’s more like 25000 not counting the phony death causes.

Heshy
Heshy
3 years ago

I had two

Nacy (Jack) the Ripper
Nacy (Jack) the Ripper
3 years ago

Pelosi has withdrawal symptoms after 5 hours of not slurping her Bacardi with gourmet ice cream.

Joel
Joel
3 years ago

They are giving him chocolate lentils and telling him it’s hydro whatever.
How would he know the difference?

Phineas
Phineas
3 years ago

Trump is overweight. Not sure about morbidly obese. I don’t believe he’s taking it until his doctor says he is. In the announcement, he doesn’t say that.

If he is, at least he has a doctor nearby.

ANON21
ANON21
3 years ago

He’s not obese at all. Unless the fake news or liberals in Congress change what obese means like they’ve been doing forever in order to make more of the population to be called obese. And I can think of numerous incentives why they would do that. More baloney as usual

Gloria Bunker Stivak
Gloria Bunker Stivak
3 years ago

25,000 are the number of deaths beyond the norm in New York state. I doubt 65,000 Americans decided to die of heart attacks, cancer etc just to make the President look bad. You can probably research the number of coffins sold the past 90 days to see if the 91,000 is realistic. Look at the page after page of death notices in the NY Times and Boston Globe unlike anything since 9/11.
My assumption is that there’s a nationwide under count because not all covid deaths at home were so classified.

anonymous
anonymous
3 years ago

he lies all the time. he probably is NOT taking this – all talk

Democrats support Jew haters and are anti religious freedom
Democrats support Jew haters and are anti religious freedom
3 years ago

Plastic face Tehran Nancy the fascistic speaker of the house should shut up and stop passing bills giving illegal aliens taxpayer money.

Jeff Sessions is a disgrace
Jeff Sessions is a disgrace
3 years ago

Is Ms. Plastic still alive? Why isn’t Adam Schiff and the Jewish boys investigating her corrupt husband Paul for the millions he made on insider trading, on the information Nanci gave him?

Trump in 2020
Trump in 2020
3 years ago

He’s obese, eats fast food , doesn’t exercise, tweets like heck, likes big ties, upset the elite wannabbes, kicked the establishment in the wazoo and WE LOVE HIM.
MAGA…KAGA

Nancy's Vodka , Good To The Last Drop
Nancy's Vodka , Good To The Last Drop
3 years ago

Bottom line__ Dems want to control what we eat, think , walk , talk and believe.
Over the last 3 years they accomplished nothing but waste, depression, negativity, fabrications and purposefully demorallizing the people. They hate good news of any kind, introduce new grotesque fast talking characters on their networks who hammer away at our spirit and joy, and spread venom on social media, 50 % paid for by that evil Jewish kapo Soros.
Satanic Sodomites and depraved naysayers.

Unsure
Unsure
3 years ago

I was a huge Donald trump fan until the covid virus. Not that the other guy is better. But he could have really used this crisis to come to pick up some voters from the other side. Sort of like Giuliani was after 9/11. I’m telling you people are terrified of catching this thing and they’re angry about the current situation. Right or not they’re misplaced anger will show itself in 2020. I was a he’ll win by A landslide Guy before this whole thing happened now I’m not so sure anymore and I don’t think donal is either.

Haaaaaaaaaaa
Haaaaaaaaaaa
3 years ago

UNSURE_____
NICE TRY.
You’re full of it.You can ‘t even get a cameo appearance on a cheap B movie.LOL.
Now vote for Uncle.

Educated Archy
Educated Archy
3 years ago

1) There is a way lower undercount in how many got sick. Millions got sick and never tested. People like me especially before pesach when testes were rare. Thus the morTality rate from those who got it are lower
2) out of the 91k deaths many were hopstail malpractice from so called “heroes”, fake heroes who were callous and reckless as reported by many nurses. Others died bec nusring homes were forced to take in sick covid people

Moshe Cohen
Moshe Cohen
3 years ago

You are fake news. On so many levels. Shameful.

Unsure archy
Unsure archy
3 years ago

Nope I loved trump, I am an avid M savage / rabbi mizrachi type listener. He could have done more. Closing air travel China wasn’t enough and with holding a couple of bucks from the WHO doesn’t cut it either . Why were there still passenger planes in the sky During the height of this. I am a little into aviation flight tracking there are still planes coming from China to America. Why is he showing such soft leadership for business owners, giving his support I’m sure he could do more. come 9/15 I’ll be paying my full taxes I’m sure, Why isn’t he talking about tax breaks, how much foreign aid to Egypt, Ukraine, Israel (yes Israel) and other countries will be suspended. He is not doing enough. Why is he so obviously concerned about his re-election by pushing for a rushed reopening without taking any responsibility by letting the states decide again soft leadership.

ah yid
ah yid
3 years ago

Last night I happened upon one of the liberal websites. Their lead story was Biden criticizing the president for taking this medicine. I went to look at the comments which on this website are usually anti Trump. I couldn’t believe it everyone was criticizing Biden. One of the comments was from someone who said he served a few years in Iraq. He says, soldiers are routinely given this medicine as a precaution.Reply

Billybob
Billybob
3 years ago

Why can’t those lefty loony Democrats make up their minds? First they want to do everything possible to get him out of the White House including impeachment. Now that he is taking medication that has possible bad side effects (could even kill him according to some Doctor’s) they want him to stop. I don’t get it…….

blondi
blondi
3 years ago

Height 6′ 3″, Weight 243 lbs.. overweight, he should weight approx 230…NOT morbidly obese….She is not a doctor, and has no right saying that. NJ Chris Christy was morbid obese..She looks like a dried up prune. feh