A spokeswoman for Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday morning that the US president is taking a malaria drug as a defense against Covid-19, despite his own administration’s warnings that the drug could have dangerous side-effects. The confirmation came hours after the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, expressed alarm that Trump was taking the drug since he is “morbidly obese”, in her words. At the White House, the press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, told CBS News Trump was taking hydroxychloroquine. “I can absolutely confirm that,” she said. “The president said himself he’s taking it. That’s a given fact. He said it. The president should be taken at his word.” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that for “a couple weeks” he had been taking hydroxychloroquine, which he first touted as a Covid-19 treatment in March, before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that the drug could cause irregular heartbeats and other cardiac trouble. The FDA has approved the drug for the treatment of malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. “You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it … The frontline workers, many, many are taking it,” Trump said on Monday. “I happen to be taking it. I happen to be taking it. I’m taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. A couple weeks ago I started taking it. Because I think it’s good, I heard a lot of good stories … I take a pill every day.” The White House on Monday night issued a statement by Sean P Conley, Trump’s doctor, that did not quite confirm Trump’s claim to be taking hydroxychloroquine, muddling the issue. “The president is in very good health and has remained symptom-free,” the statement said. “After numerous discussions he and I had regarding the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relevant risks.” The FDA advised in April that hydroxycholoroquine and chloroquine “have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing Covid-19”.“While clinical trials are ongoing to determine the safety and effectiveness of these drugs for Covid-19, there are known side-effects of these medications that should be considered,” the FDA commissioner, Stephen Hahn, said in a statement then. The FDA has not updated that guidance. Experts warned that Trump’s claim to be taking the drug could lead to a spike in demand, potentially making it harder for vulnerable patients who need the drug to fill prescriptions.