# Trump Claims to be Taking Hydroxychloroquine **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069 "2020-05-18T22:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/61 "2020-05-19T14:01:19Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > HIPAA. He can’t divulge personal medical information. The patient can authorize the doctor to divulge any piece of his medical history to anyone the patient chooses. HIPAA only prevents the doctor from doing it without patient consent. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/62 "2020-05-19T14:29:49Z")
**Moderator Warning** > [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I’m not going to waste time over here in IMHO, but here are a few points to consider: > … > I will not post again on this in IMHO as the lack of rigor with which comments are challenged is not worth my time. Do not belittle threads as not worth your time. That’s pretty much a textbook example of threadshitting. This is an official warning for threadshitting. Do not do this again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/63 "2020-05-19T14:59:10Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I hope he takes it in suppository form. Is there enough room up his ass for both a suppository AND Mitch McConnell? ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/64 "2020-05-19T15:04:07Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > He is not actually taking it, he just says he has been. This is just another one of his diversionary headline grabs. Exactly. A diversionary tactic to bury the Linick firing. Linick was investigating Pompeo regarding the Saudi arms deal (8.1Billion$). After both houses rejected it, Trump vetoed it. The Arms Export Control Act requires the president give congress 30 days before selling arms, This allows congress to way in on it. Trump using the emergency declaration was able to side step congress. Many of the weapons wouldn’t be shipped in less than a year. So, it wan’t an emergency. And Pompeo was pushing for it. Without Linick investigating it will all be swept under the carpet. Great diversionary tactic. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/65 "2020-05-19T15:13:57Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/66 "2020-05-19T15:16:01Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > you can’t have it both ways: if he gets credit if the drug works then he gets blame if it does not). This is the person (and administration) that has both told states to get their own ventilators and then when they did took credit for it. Having his cake and eating it too is sorta his thing. Not to say that he’s right, just that his brain works that way. Come election time, he’s absolutely going to take credit for the ventilators and the meds. I can assure you, he’ll talk about the amazing turn around he had getting test kits out to the masses, even though when he was asked why it was taking so long he very, very clearly said he doesn’t take responsibility for it. I understand that very few of his Rs are going to vote D if he makes it that far. Maybe the Rs can make sure he doesn’t make it that far along. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/67 "2020-05-19T19:33:43Z")
An opinion piece in the Washington Post gives a very convincing trumpian reason for why trump is (sort of) claiming to be taking Hydroxy while not coming out and actually SAYING that he is for sure and having that claim backed up by his doctor. Here is the [reason](https://a.msn.com/r/2/BB14iVxs?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare): > [@](#): > > …Either way, the goal is to create the impression that there’s a miracle cure for the coronavirus, that Trump is heroically trying to bring it to the American people and that the scientists who are standing in the way should not be trusted… Lord, where \*\*are \*\*the editors these days?? :smack: You have to plow through five pounds of verbiage to get to this, which I think makes a lot of sense (excuse the expression :rolleyes:) in trump-world-speak. The point is NOT whether he is taking it, not taking it, risking his life, lying, what-have-you. He is following his standard playbook, namely, setting himself as a hero/[del]white[/del] orange knight who is trying to do right by his people but the Big Bad Experts _(who went to college, attended classes, and got legitimate degrees)_ won’t let him! They’re the Bad Guys! I’m the Good Guys! THEY won’t let me help! It’s THEIR fault that you don’t have this life-saving potion/treatment/miracle drug _(which I may or may not be taking)_. It’s not that he’s taking it or not taking it-- it’s that the straw men don’t want him to help the great, suffering, unwashed (voting) masses who throng to his orange feet. Ok, I have to go take a bath in bleach now. Getting inside his [head](https://sciencemonday.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dsc_5904_edited-1.jpg)makes me queasy. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/68 "2020-05-19T19:50:51Z")
The stupid thing is that the president could have a HUGE impact on the path of the disease and the ability for states to reopen, get the economy going, and so on. Tell his supporters to wear a fucking mask when they’re going to be around other people!! He doesn’t have to push this quackery! If he led the way and encouraged his idiotic supporters to wear masks, it would really be a game changer. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/69 "2020-05-19T20:01:48Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > The stupid thing is that the president could have a HUGE impact on the path of the disease and the ability for states to reopen, get the economy going, and so on. Tell his supporters to wear a fucking mask when they’re going to be around other people!! > > He doesn’t have to push this quackery! If he led the way and encouraged his idiotic supporters to wear masks, it would really be a game changer. He is a contrarian and a fighter. He cannot get on the same side as the mainstream, sensible, level-headed people. He loves chaos. He sows chaos in order to (he imagines) take his rightful place as the smart, wise general at the center of the combat zone. There is no way on this earth that he can give out the same advice as Biden, Obama, and Pelosi. He is mentally ill that way. If a building were on fire and it were surrounded by firefighters and police yelling “Get out! Run! You’re going to die!” I believe he would not be able to either flee or tell others to flee. He \*might \*let someone else drag him to safety and then claim it was against his will-- _maybe_. \*“It wasn’t that bad! The fire wasn’t going to get me! Joe Fire Chief dragged me out-- I refused, but he and sixteen guys threw ropes around me (which I chose not to break with my bare hands) and forced me out. I was never in any danger!” \* ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/70 "2020-05-19T20:32:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > He loves chaos. He sows chaos in order to (he imagines) take his rightful place as the smart, wise general at the center of the combat zone. For a while now, I’ve been thinking of him as a kind of oafish Petyr Baelish. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/71 "2020-05-19T21:24:46Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > There are no credible studies indicating that Hydroxychloroquine works as an antiviral and three recent large studies that so that it is totally and utterly ineffective. But, wait, according to Trump’s criminal [campaign manager](https://twitter.com/parscale/status/1262755342825357319), it has been endorsed by the Assoc. of American Physicians & Surgeons. I mean that sounds like a pretty official group of level headed professionals. Certainly not a thinly masked [conservative think tank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Physicians_and_Surgeons#Gun_control) that believes that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS, vaccines are bad and doesn’t recognize gun violence as a problem or anything. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/72 "2020-05-19T22:04:06Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > His Dr is giving him tic-tacs. Pirin tablets (as seen in _The Birdcage_: aspirin tablets with the first two letters scratched off). ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/73 "2020-05-19T22:30:44Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I have. With more than one doctor. I completely believe that a person enormously more powerful than I am can find a doctor to prescribe whatever he wants to take. > > (I, of course, believe that all the drugs I have asked for were medically reasonable choices. But presumably Trump believes the same.) > India only tracks about 20% of total deaths in normal times. I don’t think we can conclude anything at all from numbers published by India. Not because they are lying, but because they don’t know, and probably can’t know. > > A friend of a friend reported on India a couple of weeks ago. “I see more funeral pyres than normal. But not enormously more, although it’s hard to tell. There aren’t bodies stacked up on the street like there are in Equador.” That’s the level of data we are dealing with out of India. There was a study conducted among rheumatology patients taking HCQ for their conditions. It turns out they get COVID at the same frequency as rheumatology patients that don’t take HCQ, and when they get it it’s just as severe. > **[Plaquenil Does Not Protect Lupus Patients from COVID-19 | RheumNow](https://rheumnow.com/content/plaquenil-does-not-protect-lupus-patients-covid-19)** > > Annals of Rheumatic Disease reports on an analysis of lupus (SLE) patients that shows COVID-19 infection rates were similar between those lupus patients who were taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and those not taking HCQ.  Data from the COVID-19... ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/74 "2020-05-20T00:10:50Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > There are no credible studies indicating that Hydroxychloroquine works as an antiviral and three recent large studies that so that it is totally and utterly ineffective. > > [Outcomes of hydroxychloroquine usage in United States veterans hospitalized with Covid-19 | medRxiv](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20065920v2) > > [https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/23/health/hydroxychloroquine-new-york-coronavirus-study/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/23/health/hydroxychloroquine-new-york-coronavirus-study/index.html) > > [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2012410](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2012410) > > Oh, and when I was looking for those links I found these, which were from two more studies. > > [Coronavirus & COVID-19 Overview: Symptoms, Risks, Prevention, Treatment & More](https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200515/studies-hydroxychloroquine-uselss-against-covid) > > So that’s 5. > > It didn’t work as antiviral fifty years ago when scientists started studying it as an antiviral and it doesn’t work now. There have been large studies that proven it was ineffective as prophylaxis against flu. > > However, a lot of people that take it when they are sick with COVID will get better, because most people with COVID do get better regardless. Most people that take it as a prophylaxis won’t get COVID simply because most people don’t get COVID. > > And I would like to point out something about the data in the 5 observational studies I linked to. If you look at the RAW numbers, you will see that the mortality and adverse event rates are DRASTICALLY higher in patients treated with Hydroxychloroquine. > > The researchers made adjustments to that data to reflect the fact that the treated patients were, in general, a little sicker. > > But as th actual data proving the ineffectiveness of this drug comes pouring in, the people that are desperate for a miracle are doubling down. I’ve seen the studies I’ve linked to above posted on social media with captions like “See, Trump was right! It works). > > So, I’m sorry that I don’t have fascinating and rigorous data from YouTube videos and “things people are saying”. I only have actual studies and they’re boring, Not a medical professional but not sure I understand your links. All your links are for people who already have Covid-19. Which report shows it’s in-efficacy for use as an preventative? And please don’t portray Medical professionals as Ultra rational humans; they are not. Let me remind you of the following : 1. Flossing was scientifically found to have no positive effect. Yet both my dentist and my daughter’s dentist keep recommending it. 2. Breast cancer screenings were full of false positives and yet they continued to do them until about recently when they raised the age for screenings. 3. You can’t get research funding for cancer drugs unless you test them first on mice. It is long known that the ratio of WBC/RBC is reverse in mice compared to humans and mice never get cancer naturally and yet the scientific lobby continues. So please don’t preach that medical scientists are devoid of politics. They very much are NOT!! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/75 "2020-05-20T00:12:22Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Maybe he’s eating those fake Oreos, **Hydrox** cookies. Those are way better than Oreos, but I don’t think they’re made any more. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/76 "2020-05-20T00:46:44Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Okay, one more post here b/c I admire you so much, Little Nemo. Admit it. The rest of you are jealous because Chief likes me best. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/77 "2020-05-20T00:54:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Admit it. The rest of you are jealous because Chief likes me best. The Chief has ALWAYS liked you best. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/78 "2020-05-20T01:04:45Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Those are way better than Oreos, but I don’t think they’re made any more. and they were first! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/79 "2020-05-20T04:48:44Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > The stupid thing is that the president could have a HUGE impact on the path of the disease and the ability for states to reopen, get the economy going, and so on. Tell his supporters to wear a fucking mask when they’re going to be around other people!! > > He doesn’t have to push this quackery! If he led the way and encouraged his idiotic supporters to wear masks, it would really be a game changer. I’m not normally one to talk about the decline of the US / “end of an empire” but this really looks like an indicator of that kind of thing. Cases in many places around the world are in steep decline, including many areas of poverty. Country after country has been able to quickly adapt and follow the necessary measures. It’s hard, but it’s not complicated. But it all breaks down in the US. Where a big chunk of the population doesn’t believe in science. And have elected a guy who not only also does not believe/understand science, but doesn’t care about the well-being of his citizens. And I am not laying this only on Trump. Were a saner president in charge, you would still have tens of millions of people choosing to believe CTs, and rallying around some Trump or Alex Jones or whoever is pushing the nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069/80 "2020-05-20T05:32:26Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Maybe this was brought up but Drs. in some cases give out sugar pills to make people happy when they insist on getting something. I don’t think that is allowed any more or maybe it was never technically legal but it happened. It isn’t now, except as a control arm of a clinical trial. The drug doesn’t prevent COVID; it’s only been used experimentally to deal with some of the symptoms, and not successfully, either. I also don’t believe that he’s really taking it. “Lots of front-line workers are using it” - yeah, if they have LUPUS, doofus. (Rhyme unintentional) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-claims-to-be-taking-hydroxychloroquine/854069.md?page=5)