Trump claims he will end his hydroxychloroquine regimen soon

After hiding the claim that Donald Trump had been taking hydroxychloroquine for more than a week, the president revealed Wednesday he will end his regimen “in a day or two.”

Trump, who said he has tested negative for the coronavirus, announced on Monday he was taking the anti-malaria drug to guard against it.

“I think the regimen finishes in a day or two. I think it’s in two days,” Trump said at the White House during a meeting with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.

President Trump says he thinks he is going to stop taking hydroxychloroquine this week: "I think the regimen finishes in a day or two" https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/BKto3dOU9t

— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 20, 2020

Trump regularly touts the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine despite the fact the Food and Drug Administration has warned against widespread use. The FDA has approved the drug for the treatment of malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing covid-19,” the FDA warned in a statement. Both can cause abnormal heart rhythms and a dangerously rapid heart rate, it added.

Former Veterans Affairs Sec. David Shulkin on President Trump taking hydroxychloroquine: “I’m concerned about the way that this is publicly being discussed and that other Americans may believe that this is now safe to do, and this clearly is not safe.” https://t.co/QKHnRAz8P3 pic.twitter.com/b7bMiYjbhU

— CNN (@CNN) May 21, 2020

“I get a lot of tremendously positive news on the hydroxy,” the president said Monday. He claimed then he had been taking a pill “every day” for about a week and a half. He also said the White House physician “didn’t recommend” hydroxychloroquine but felt that the drug’s possible benefits outweighed its risks.