Today's Politico Playbook Audio Briefing is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Good Tuesday morning. I'm Jake Sherman and welcome to your political playbook audio briefing.

And I'm Anna Palmer. In ingesting hydroxychloroquine, against the advice of his government's experts and refusing to use a mask,

President Donald Trump has unleashed the wail of a siren

to his base that he is in charge, not the medical experts in his administration, and will do

as he pleases.

No two health issues in the coronavirus era have divided Americans like the use of facial

coverings and hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, some have advocated for

using against COVID-19. Anthony Fauci has advised the use of masks and has suggested using the

drug could be dangerous and even deadly under some circumstances. Trump, the most visible man on

planet Earth, has decided to ignore both pieces of advice.

Is he actually taking it? Who knows? The timing he laid out that he's been taking it for a few

weeks does seem to line up when his personal valet got sick, but you'd be excused for being a bit

skeptical because much of what he says doesn't check out. Trump said he was going to cancel all

subscriptions to the Washington Post, but he described Monday's front page in a tweet. He said he was going to cancel all subscriptions to the Washington Post,

but he described Monday's front page in a tweet. He said he was going to recess Congress so he can get

more appointments. He hasn't done that. He also said he would use his authority to open states

that remains closed. He hasn't done that either. Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Anderson Cooper on CNN last night

said, as far as the president is concerned, he's our president,

and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists,

especially in his age group, and in his, shall we say, weight group, morbidly obese, they say.

So I think it's not a good idea. Meanwhile, David Lim and Zachary Brennan report that health

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