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 in self or 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 this particular 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.

And the other thing that we've bought a tremendous amount of is the hydroxychloroquine, hydroxychloroquine,

which I think is, you know, it's a great malaria drug. It's worked unbelievably. It's a powerful drug

on malaria. And there are signs that it works on this. Some very strong signs.

Many doctors and scientists advising Trump have been advocating 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 success.

Meanwhile, clinical trials for this particular use of hydroxychloroquine and clinical trials for

other potential treatments for COVID are being expedited in a time of crisis. These trials would

usually take quite a long time, years even. So who decides what kinds of trials and processes

can be expedited in an emergency? What are the risks when things move quickly and

do they outweigh the potential rewards? In a time when Americans are desperately in search of a cure,

what's the role of the president?

This is Kenny Do That, a podcast that explores the powers and limitations of the American presidency.

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