Vice President Mike Pence is confirming that he is not taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventive for the coronavirus.
After Pence’s meeting with the National Space Council at NASA’s headquarters, he sat down for an interview with Fox News’ White House Correspondent, Kristin Fisher, on Tuesday.
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s admission to taking hydroxychloroquine, Pence was also asked whether or not he is taking the unproven drug. The vice president admitted that he is not.
Fisher took to Twitter with details about Pence’s response. She tweeted, ““In an interview at NASA’s headquarters after a meeting of the National Space Council, [Pence] tells me he is not taking Hydroxychloroquine.”
She also noted that the vice president said, “My physician hasn’t recommended that, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take it if he did recommend it.”
In an interview at NASA’s headquarters after a meeting of the National Space Council, @VP tells me he is not taking Hydroxychloroquine. pic.twitter.com/6GrbPovYfi
— Kristin Fisher (@KristinFisher) May 19, 2020
More from the VP on why he is not taking Hydroxychloroquine:
— Kristin Fisher (@KristinFisher) May 19, 2020
“My physician hasn’t recommended that, but I wouldn’t hesitate” to take it if he did recommend it.
And lots more on the big @NASA @SpaceX launch next week coming soon
Pence’s latest remarks follow Trump’s remarks on Monday. The president’s admission to taking hydroxychloroquine has led to a barrage of questions and concerns about his health and the message it sends to his political base.
Despite warnings about the drug, Trump is still promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine. In fact, the president was asked again about his touting of the unproven drug after attending a lunch with Republican senators on Capitol Hill.
He doubled down on his stance yet again, pointing to one bad survey on the drug. According to Trump, that survey was given to people who were in “very bad shape,” “very old,” and “almost dead.” The president described the study as nothing more than “a Trump enemy statement.”
See Trump’s remarks below:
“It was a Trump enemy statement” — Trump dismisses doctors who have warned about possible bad consequences of hydroxychloroquine and insists he knows better pic.twitter.com/CiyTtOBJlu
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2020
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and the death toll is over 92,600.
The FDA and health experts with the White House Coronavirus Task Force have also cautioned against the use of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus.