Fox & Friends tried – and failed miserably – to push Dr. Anthony Fauci into endorsing the experimental coronavirus treatment Dear Leader Donald Trump is promoting, hydroxychloroquine, along with the suggestion that the lack of its widespread use is to blame (i.e. not Trump) for the growing number of deaths in the U.S.

Early in Fauci’s appearance on Fox & Friends yesterday, a graphic was posted saying a Sermo survey of 6,227 doctors found that 37% found hydroxychloroquine to be “the most effective” COVID-19 treatment.

Cohost Steve Doocy added that “only about 23%” of U.S. doctors prescribe it, “far less than in other countries.” He played a clip of (discredited, except on Fox) Dr. Mehmet Oz, who wanted the Friends to ask Fauci about “the Chinese study that we discussed yesterday from Wuhan that reflected statistically significant improvement in recovery from fever, from cough, and in pneumonia as well.”

Fauci was having none of it.

FAUCI: That was not a very robust study. It is still possible that there’s a beneficial effect, but the study that was just quoted on a scale of strength of evidence, that’s not overwhelmingly strong. It’s an indication, a hint of it. But getting back to what you said just a moment ago that x percent, I think you said 37% of doctors feel that it’s beneficial. We don’t operate on how you feel, we operate on what evidence is and data is.

So, although there is some suggestion with the study that was just mentioned by Dr. Oz – I mean granted that there is a suggestion that there’s a benefit there, I think we’ve got to be careful that we don’t make that majestic leap to assume that this is a knockout drug.

We still need to do the kinds of studies that definitively prove whether any intervention, not just this one, any intervention, is truly safe and effective. But when you don’t have that information, it’s understandable  - and I grant that it’s understandable - why people may want to take something anyway, even with the slightest hint of it being effective, and I have no problem with that.

Cohost Brian Kilmeade tried to play doctor, too. He said, “75% of everybody in Spain is taking it with success. French and Chinese take it and their doctors are taking it. There’s a lot of positive things and I will be very curious, Doctor, to see if anyone who’s taken this for lupus or arthritis has gotten the coronavirus. That would be one way to go, the other way to see about this study.”

“Obviously, this is a good drug in many respects for some of the diseases you mentioned,” Fauci replied, “and the one thing we don’t want to happen is that individuals who really need a drug with a proven indication don’t have it available.”

“But I can’t escape getting back to you said 75% of doctors think that it worked,” Fauci continued. “We really don’t care what 75% think it works, that’s not the issue.”

“No, no, no,” Kilmeade said. “I should clarify, because I said Spain, 72% of the doctors in Spain are prescribing it.”

Dr. Fauci “That’s fine. “

Cohost Ainsley Earhardt took her turn. “If that drug is available, if we do have enough of those drugs, why aren’t we giving that to people in New York that are so hit, we’re hit hard here, and people are dying.”

Dr. Fauci “This is an approved drug for another indication, and doctors can, and the FDA has made it very clear that doctors can prescribe it on what we call off label.”

Fox and Trump have repeatedly exaggerated the drug’s effectiveness. It’s caused real harm, too. There were three overdoses of the drug in Nigeria, and an Arizona man died from taking a nonmedical form of chloroquine in the days since the drug entered the conversation surrounding the pandemic.

Fortunately, the attempt by Fox & Friends to get Fauci to go along fell flat on its face.

You can watch it below, from the April 2, 2020 Fox & Friends.