Even though the FDA says the use of Hydroxychloroquine was up to a patient and their doctor, Monday’s evening newscasts saw ABC, CBS, and NBC clutch their pearls after President Trump admitted he’s been taking the anti-Malaria drug for several days to prevent catching coronavirus. Acting as though he was self-medicating and not telling viewers that the drug needed a prescription to obtain it, which meant his doctor approved it, these liberal networks decried the medial precaution.
ABC’s World News Tonight and the CBS Evening News kicked off their newscasts with the headline stealing development. “But, of course, the headline that immediately took over all the others, when late today, the President said he's been taking hydroxychloroquine for more than a week,” announced ABC anchor David Muir. He added: “But, of course, it led to immediate questions about why he's taking it, with the FDA warning that no one should be taking the drug for coronavirus outside a hospital or clinical trial.”
Reporting on how the President said he had spoken with the White House physician before he started taking the drug, ABC chief White House correspondent Jon Karl didn’t mention that it needed a prescription (click “expand”):
KARL: Did the White House doctor recommend that you that? Is that why you’re taking it?
TRUMP: Yeah, White House doctor. Didn’t recommend. No, I asked him, “what do you think” and 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.
KARL: The President, who regularly gets tested for coronavirus, said he is taking the drug as a preventive, not because he has tested positive or has any symptoms.
Spanish-language network Telemundo went full fake news and went with the narrative that TRUMP SELF-MEDICATES. The network apparently didn't understand what self mediation was. Anchor Jose Diaz-Balart looked to correspondent Javier Vega and asked: "Do we know why the president decided to self-medicate with this drug?" And Vega responded by admitting "because his doctor prescribed it."
The CBS Evening News was arguably the most malicious with their reporting, leaning on the debunked accusations of a whistleblower and appearing to run to the FDA to tattle on the President. After mentioning the FA warning, anchor Norah O’Donnell said that “the President appears to be brushing aside those concerns, saying it was his idea to take the drug along with zinc as a way to prevent catching the virus.”
Anti-Trump CBS White House correspondent Weijia Jiang brought up how, “Rick Bright claims he was forced out of his job as the administration's top vaccine researcher because he was unwilling to push hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. Mr. Trump has described it as a game-changer.”
Ignoring the reports and evidence that proved Bright was the reason the CDC purchased large quantities of the drug, Jiang suggested it was only Trump who “said it was Bright who authorized, with his signature, the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine.”
Over on NBC Nightly News, they cracked open their thesaurus to describe all the ways they were horrified by the news. “Also developing tonight, the astonishing disclosure by President Trump late today, that he is now taking the unproven-drug he has pushed as a potential treatment for COVID-19,” declared anchor Lester Holt.
NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker began her report by gawking at the “stunning news from President Trump revealing he takes the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, a controversial medicine that Mr. Trump has touted as a potential treatment for coronavirus, despite limited evidence to back that up and research showing potentially dangerous side effects.”
Jiang was the only reporter to even come close to mentioning that the drug needed a prescription. After saying that “the FDA is not commenting on President Trump ignoring its warning,” she admitted the FDA leaves “the decision to use it for COVID-19 is really up to the patient and their doctor.” Which was what happened in this case.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
May 18, 2020
6:32:27 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Good evening, and it's great to have you with us here tonight as we begin another week together, as America begins the slow and very challenging task of reopening. But it was the President who late today surprised reporters when he said he's been taking hydroxychloroquine for a week and a half. He said he asked a White House doctor who then approved it. And the President added: it was preventive, that he was not exposed to COVID-19. But, of course, it led to immediate questions about why he's taking it, with the FDA warning that no one should be taking the drug for coronavirus outside a hospital or clinical trial.
(…)
But, of course, the headline that immediately took over all the others, when late today, the President said he's been taking hydroxychloroquine for more than a week. And so, we begin tonight with ABC’s Jonathan Karl.
[Cuts to video]
JON KARL: The announcement came out of the blue, in response to a totally unrelated question, the President announcing he's been taken the unproven-drug hydroxychloroquine to protect himself from COVID-19.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: A lot of good things have come out about the hydroxy. A lot of good things have come out. [Transition] I happen to be taking it. I happen to be taking it?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER 1: Hydroxychloroquine?
TRUMP: I'm taking it, hydroxychloroquine.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER 2: When?
TRUMP: Right now, yeah. A couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. 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, I'm not going to get hurt by it.
KARL: For some two months, the President has been promoting hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, among other things, as a treatment for coronavirus. And just last month, the FDA warned against using the drug for COVID-19 outside of hospitals or clinical trials, because it could cause heart problems.
Did the White House doctor recommend that you that? Is that why you’re taking it?
TRUMP: Yeah, White House doctor. Didn’t recommend. No, I asked him, “what do you think” and 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.
KARL: The President, who regularly gets tested for coronavirus, said he is taking the drug as a preventive, not because he has tested positive or has any symptoms.
(…)
CBS Evening News
May 18, 2020
6:31:58 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: We are going to begin tonight with that breaking news. President Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine. It's a commonly used anti-malaria drug that he's repeatedly promoted as a game changer for treating coronavirus. Just last month the FDA warned doctors about the risk of using that drug on coronavirus patients, including serious heart problems and said it had not been shown to be safe or effective.
But tonight, the President appears to be brushing aside those concerns, saying it was his idea to take the drug along with zinc as a way to prevent catching the virus. He says he's been taking it for about a week and a half. That's around the same time two White House aides, including the valet, who serves his lunch, tested positive.
(…)
We’re going to begin tonight with CBS's Weijia Jiang, who leads us off at the White House. Weijia?
WEIJIA JIANG: Well Norah, in recent weeks, President Trump actually stopped talking about hydroxychloroquine publicly as the FDA and other studies revealed a possible risk, but that did not stop him from taking it, which he says was his own idea, that the White House doctor agreed to.
[Cuts to video]
President Trump's revelation that he's taking the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine comes as top health officials warn of its potential danger. The President said he consulted with his doctor at the White House.
(…)
JIANG: The FDA has warned patients not to take hydroxychloroquine outside of a hospital and not to take it to prevent disease as it can cause heart rhythm problems. Dr. William Schaffner is an infectious disease specialist.
DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: There’s no real indication, no evidence base for the use of hydroxychloroquine as a preventative of COVID-19. [Transition] I think doctors ought to not be prescribing this medication to people across the country for this purpose.
JIANG: Rick Bright claims he was forced out of his job as the administration's top vaccine researcher because he was unwilling to push hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. Mr. Trump has described it as a game changer.
(…)
JIANG: President Trump said it was Bright who authorized, with his signature, the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If he doesn't believe in it, why would he sign it?
JIANG: But Dr. Anthony Fauci has said science has not shown the drug definitively works.
(…)
JIANG: The President has contradicted Dr. Fauci and other medical experts before.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
JIANG: Tonight, the FDA is not commenting on President Trump ignoring its warning, but in the past has said since hydroxychloroquine is approved the treat other illnesses, the decision to use it for COVID-19 is really up to the patient and their doctor. White House officials, including the physician here, have not said anything beyond the President's remarks. Norah.
O’DONNELL: Incredible details there, Weijia. Thank you.
NBC Nightly News
May 18, 2020
7:04:17 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Also developing tonight, the astonishing disclosure by President Trump late today, that he is now taking the unproven-drug he has pushed as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Kristen Welker has those late details now.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: Tonight, stunning news from President Trump revealing he takes the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, a controversial medicine that Mr. Trump has touted as a potential treatment for coronavirus, despite limited evidence to back that up and research showing potentially dangerous side effects.
(…)
WELKER: The President saying he's taken one pill per day for the past week and a half. And while no one recommended he take the drug, Mr. Trump said he did consult with the White House doctor beforehand.
(…)
WELKER: The President says he has no signs of COVID-19, and tests show he is negative. So his rationale for taking it?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: What do you have to lose?
WELKER: For two months, the President used similar language as he repeatedly hailed hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment for coronavirus.
(…)
WELKER: But clinical trials and research show the drug could pose an increased risk of serious heart problems or even death for certain patients, and multiple large studies in recent weeks have found no benefit from the drug in fighting COVID-19. All of that prompted the Food and Drug Administration to warn last month against using hydroxychloroquine outside of a hospital setting, and most doctors were only using it in extreme cases. Mr. Trump dismissing any potential side effects.
(…)
WELKER: Tonight, medical officials reiterate the risks.
DR. JEREMY FAUST: The side effect profile for hydroxychloroquine is pretty well established. It definitely does seem to cause cardiac risks. It can cause incorrect or abnormal rhythms of a heart.
[Cuts back to live]
WELKER: We have asked for more details and documentation but still no response from the White House. Lester.
HOLT: Kristen Welker tonight, thanks.
