Trump says he's no longer taking hydroxychloroquine

President Trump said he has finished taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug he took to protect against the coronavirus.

“Finished, just finished,” Trump said in an interview with Sinclair Broadcast's program Full Measure With Sharyl Attkisson that aired Sunday. "And by the way, I'm still here. To the best of my knowledge, here I am."

Trump has frequently touted hydroxychloroquine as a way to prevent and treat the virus, though there has been heated debate over the safety and effectiveness of the drug against COVID-19.

The Food and Drug Administration, which approved an emergency use authorization for the drug to be used on hospitalized coronavirus patients, warns it can cause serious heart problems.

“Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19,” the FDA said.

Trump revealed last week that he had been taking hydroxychloroquine for nearly two weeks. The White House also released a memo from Trump’s physician that said the two discussed “the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine” and “concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks.”

"I believe in it enough that I took a program because I had two people in the White House that tested positive," he said. "But hydroxy has had tremendous, if you look at it, tremendous, rave reviews,” Trump said.