Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer floated several theories Thursday regarding why President Donald Trump announced that he was taking hydroxychloroquine.
Trump had said several days earlier that he was taking the drug as a prophylactic measure against coronavirus, and has faced criticism from a number of sources in the days since. Schumer suggested on ABC’s “The View” that, if the president was telling the truth about taking the drug, he could be doing it as a distraction or because it could financially benefit someone he knew. (RELATED: ‘Be A Leader’: Chuck Schumer Fires Back At Trump Over ‘Petty, Unserious Letter’)
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“President Trump announced Monday that he’s been taking the drug hydroxychloroquine for the last couple of weeks as a preventive measure,” host Sunny Hostin began, noting that Trump had traditionally kept his own personal medical decisions pretty close to the vest. “Why do you think he’s being so transparent now about taking this drug?”
“Well, Sunny, it’s hard to figure out,” Schumer replied, arguing that at best, the president’s statement was “reckless.”
“Why did he say it? It’s hard to figure out. Maybe he had a friend who told him, and he never checked it out,” Schumer continued. “He’s not big on facts. Maybe he knows someone who owns part of the stock in the company. Maybe he just wanted to divert the attention. That was the day the IG was fired and that made a big fuss, and maybe — maybe and this is possible, he just made it up. Sometimes, you know, you never know when he’s telling the truth or when not just to get attention, a bright, shiny object.”
Schumer went on to tell viewers not to take the drug, adding, “Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms.”
“We know when he’s lying, Sir, because his lips are moving,” Joy Behar said as they moved on to the next question.