Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall, ‘relieved’ Trump is taking risky COVID-19 drug, does same

Kansas Congressman Roger Marshall disclosed he is proactively taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to ward off the coronavirus, despite a government warning that it shouldn’t be used outside of hospital or research settings.

A spokesman for Marshall, a physician who is running for U.S. Senate, confirmed Tuesday that the western Kansas representative is taking the drug prophylactically, along with his parents, siblings and wife. The Wall Street Journal first reported Marshall’s use.

President Donald Trump has touted the drug throughout the pandemic, but it has potentially fatal heart side effects. The drug is decades old and is typically used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Possible side effects include heart rhythm problems, severely low blood pressure and muscle or nerve damage. A New York hospital has published a report that most of the 84 COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin developed heart rhythm abnormalities.

“I would encourage any person over the age of 65 or with an underlying medical condition to talk to their own physician about taking hydroxychloroquine and I’m relieved President Trump is taking it,” Marshall told The Journal.

A spokeswoman for state Sen. Barbara Bollier, a physician who is running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, said it is “potentially dangerous for a physician to promote unproven medicine.”

“It goes against medical advice from experts. This is not leadership,” Bollier campaign spokeswoman Alexandra De Luca said.

Marshall’s comments came after Trump told reporters that he was taking hydroxychloroquine. The president said he began taking it “because I think it’s good.”

Marshall has previously told The Star that everyone should consult with their physician. On April 6, he said in a written statement that “in many cases, patients have a lot to gain and little to lose if they consider taking it.”

The congressman often references his medical background in campaign materials. He has also missed two coronavirus-related votes because of his volunteering at Kansas clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marshall has requested to be listed as Roger “Doc” Marshall on the Kansas ballot, his campaign confirmed Tuesday. Marshall, an OB-GYN, made a similar request in 2016, but it was denied.

The Kansas secretary of state’s office has yet to make a ruling for this year’s ballot.

Kansas law allows for a candidate’s nickname to be included on the ballot—state Sen. Vic Miller’s nickname of “T-Bone” appeared in 2018—but it prohibits the use of professional titles and degrees.

Marshall’s campaign maintains that “Doc” is nickname used by the congressman’s friends and family.

The Star’s Bryan Lowry contributed reporting

This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 10:56 AM.