President Donald Trump said Monday he is taking the anti-malaria drug despite warnings about its effectiveness.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he's finished taking his regimen of hydroxychloroquine, a controversial drug he's promoted as a treatment for the coronavirus despite warnings from his own U.S.

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, pointed to the FDA warning about the use of the drug to treat COVID-19 when asked about the recent Lancet study.

US President Donald Trump answers a questions during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 24, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP via Getty Images)

"I think the FDA has been very clear on their website about their concerns about hydroxychloroquine, particularly when it's combined with a macrolide," she told reporters Friday at a White House press briefing, referring to a class of antibiotics such as azithromycin - a course of treatment similar to the one the president was taking. 

"I believe in it enough that I took a program because I had two people in the White House that tested positive," he said

The White House subsequently tightened safety measures including mandating COVID-19 tests for anyone who comes in close proximity with the president while all West Wing staff are required to wear masks except while at their desks. 

"He's not mentally qualified to be attorney general," Trump said

As the US approaches 100,000 coronavirus deaths, President Donald Trump is calling on governors to allow houses of worship to open