OK, I guess I can surmise that Donald John Trump is actually taking the questionable drug with the hope of preventing illness from COVID-19.

I had presumed he might be lying about it, but I guess the White House medical staff has confirmed what Trump said at that meeting Monday.

Still, I also believe strongly that Donald Trump should not be taking a drug, hydroxychloroquine, that scientists cannot confirm actually works as a preventative against killer viral infection.

Trump is 73 years of age. He packs at least 240 pounds on a body that isn’t equipped to carry that much weight. We keep hearing that his blood pressure and other vital signs are normal. However, this individual remains in an at-risk group of Americans, meaning he is older and is “morbidly obese.”

So he’s taking this drug. He tells us he gets a lot of “positive calls” from individuals who tell him hydroxychloroquine works well. Who in the name of scientific research is telling him that stuff? We out here in Flyover Country hear something different from what Trump keeps telling us he is hearing.

Scientists tell us — you and me — that hydroxychloroquine can produce heart issues that can kill someone who’s taking the drug.

Presidents assume many unwritten or unspecified duties when they take the oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.” They are consolers, comforters and role models.

Role models need to lead by example. Trump knows what the scientists are saying about hydroxychloroquine, that it poses dangers to those who consume it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing masks while we maintain a “social distance” from others.

Trump has tossed the role model part of his job into the crapper. He refuses to wear a mask in public, thinking it makes him look “ridiculous.” Now he’s consuming hydroxychloroquine, a drug that could produce extremely dire side effects … even for the president of the United States.

Once again, as if we need reminding, Donald Trump is failing yet another fundamental test of leadership.