Remarks by President Trump in a Roundtable with Restaurant Executives and Industry Leaders

May 18, 2020

2:47 P.M. EDT

…a lot of good things have come out about the hydroxy. A lot of good things have come out. You'd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the frontline workers – before you catch it.

The frontline workers – many, many are taking it. I happen to be taking it. I happen to be taking it.

Q You’re taking hydroxychloroquine?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm taking it – hydroxychloroquine.

Q Right now?

Q When –

THE PRESIDENT: Right now. Yeah. A couple of weeks ago, I started taking it.

Q Why, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Because I think it's good. I've heard a lot of good stories. And if it's not good, I'll tell you right – you know, I'm not going to get hurt by it. It's been around for 40 years for malaria, for lupus, for other things.

I take it. Frontline workers take it. A lot of doctors take it.

Q (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me. A lot of doctors take it. I take it. Now, I hope to not be able to take it soon because, you know, I hope they come up with some answer, but I think people should be allowed to.

I got a letter from a doctor the other day from Westchester, New York around the area. He didn't want anything. He just said, “Sir, I have hundreds of patients and I give them hydroxychloroquine; I give them the Z-Pak, which is azithromycin; and I give them zinc. And out of the hundreds of patients many hundreds, over 300 patients – I haven't lost one.” He said, “Please keep pressing that, sir.”

And if you look at that phony report that was put in, that report on the hydroxyl was given to people that were in extraordinarily bad condition extraordinarily bad, people that were dying. No, I I think, for whatever it's worth, I take it. I was I – I would’ve told you that three, four days ago, but we never had a chance because you never asked me the question.

Q Did the White House doctor recommend that you take that? Is that why you're taking it?

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. A White House doctor didn't recommend no, I asked him, “What do you think?” He said, “Well, if you'd like it.” I said, “Yeah, I'd like it. I'd like to take it.”

A lot of people are taking it. A lot of frontline workers are taking hydroxychloroquine. A lot of front- I don't take it because hey, people said, “Oh, maybe he owns the company.” No, I don't own the company. You know what? I want the people of this nation to feel good. I don't want them being sick. And there's a very good chance that this has an impact, especially early on.

But you look at frontline workers. You look at doctors and nurses. A lot of them are taking it as a preventative, and they're taking – totally unrelated, but they take the Z-Pak or the azithromycin for possible infection.

Now, I haven't taken that, other than an original dose because the ori- – all you need. You don't have to take it simultaneously, but the zinc you do take. So I'm taking the two: the zinc and the hydroxy. And all I can tell you is, so far, I seem to be okay.

Q Can you explain, sir, though, why you started taking it? Have you been exposed?

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, because no. No, not at all. I just said that I've had so many letters from people, like the one I told you about. I got it last week. I'll give you would you like a copy of it? I'd love to give you if you ask Molly, she'll give you a copy of it.

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