The Washington Post’s Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann gather for a weekly conversation about former president Donald Trump’s ongoing legal troubles. As trials loom in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C., the team will break down the most important – and historic – twists and turns, all as Trump seeks a second term as president. The crew will sit down each Thursday (with the occasional breaking news episode) to discuss what has happened that week, and what’s coming up the next week – often with guest appearances from Washington Post reporters. Listen in to see how you can submit your own questions for the team to answer.
A president’s push for an unproven cure
As the country continues to battle the spread of the novel coronavirus, many are desperately in search of answers, solutions and treatment options.
In search himself, for something of a cure, President Trump has repeatedly touted one particular drug as the likely savior for covid-19 patients: hydroxychloroquine.
At this point, hydroxychloroquine is an unproven treatment for covid-19. It’s still in the testing stages as a treatment for the virus, it can have dangerous side effects for some, and medical professionals are divided on its likelihood of success.
Yet none of those factors have stopped the president from advocating that people infected with the novel coronavirus consider taking this drug, in consultation with their doctors.
Many doctors and scientists advising Trump have advocated that he exercise more caution in talking about the drug’s potential promise. But others inside the White House — and on Fox News — have been influencing Trump, offering him anecdotal evidence of the drug’s success.
Meanwhile, clinical trials for this particular use of hydroxychloroquine and clinical trials for other potential treatments for covid-19 are being expedited in a time of crises. These trials would usually take quite a long time, years even.
On this episode of the“Can He Do That?” podcast, Mark Gladwin of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center explains the risks when clinical trials move quickly — and whether they outweigh the potential benefits. Plus, national political reporter Robert Costa offers insight into the president’s actions as Americans are desperate for a cure.
Additional coronavirus resources:washingtonpost.com/virusnewsletterwashingtonpost.com/coronaviruswashingtonpost.com/podcasts
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