A former White House adviser raises disturbing questions about Trump’s hydroxychloroquine use

President Donald Trump, for over a month, has been pushing hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19, but not until Monday did he claim to be taking the drug himself. The president told reporters he has been taking daily doses of hydroxychloroquine for “about a week and a half now” to prevent the disease, though it hasn’t been proven to do so and poses serious risks. Dr. Sean P. Conley, White House physician, expressed his approval.

Sidney Blumenthal, a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, examines Conley’s approval in an article for Just Security and poses a series of questions for the White House doctor.

Following Trump’s hydroxychloroquine announcement, Conley said that he had discussed the matter with the president. Conley said in a press release: “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.” Continue reading.