A health update has been issued after a pharmaceutical executive suddenly collapsed during a weight loss drug press conference at the White House.
On Thursday (6 November), President Donald Trump, 79, held a meeting in the Oval Office with a representative of Eli Lilly, other health care executives from Novo Nordisk, and administration officials to announce his new GLP-1 cost reduction plan.
Under the deal, makers of the so-called ‘skinny jabs’ will be allowed to expand access to their medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound, by offering them cheaply on TrumpRx.
The latter is a new government website expected to launch in 2026.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used the press conference to call obesity a ‘disease for poverty’ and praised the Trump administration’s decision to cut their prices.
However, during the event, a man seemingly suffered from a health emergency, resulting in his collapse.
Press were ushered from the Oval Office while Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and others provided assistance.
Trump, who had been sitting behind the Resolute Desk, stood up to watch the medical situation unfold.
30 minutes after the man was taken out of the Oval Office, the press conference resumed.
It was after this brief pause that Trump delivered a health update, claiming the man had just gotten ‘a little bit lightheaded’ while standing.
“We saw he went down, and he's fine. They just sent him out, and he's got doctors here. But he's fine,” he added. “So we had a little bit of an interruption. Sorry for that.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said in a statement that the individual was ‘okay’.
She said: “During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted. The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay. The Press Conference will resume shortly.”
In a subsequent briefing, David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, confirmed that the man had become faint after standing for so long.
“If you’ve ever been in the Oval Office, you stand a long time, and it’s warm,” he lamented.
“Pleased to say that the White House medical staff did a great job and he’s doing great. So, nothing to be concerned about. Thanks for your concern.”
A clip of Trump surveying the scene and staring blankly into the camera has gone viral across social media.
Some critics were quick to shame the POTUS for not helping, with one commenting via Instagram: “Trump just standing there without a care in the world.”
Another remarked: “The way Trump just towers over to watch.”
“Trump shows zero care or empathy,” alleged another social media user.
Earlier this year, one of Dr Oz’s family members fainted in the Oval Office while he was being sworn in.
Footage from the event showed journalists in the audience reacting to the commotion as one of the celebrity doctor’s daughters told him: “Philo fainted, Philo fainted. Dad, go!”
In an update shared via Instagram days after the incident, it was confirmed that the 11-year-old, whose real name is Philomena, was healthy, having bounced ‘right back’ from her ordeal.
Topics: Politics, US News, Health, Donald Trump
Ella Scott