Dr. Oz jumps in after man collapses during Oval Office press conference
An Oval Office press conference was cut short Thursday as one of the attendees appeared to collapse.
WASHINGTON – A press conference was interrupted on Thursday when one of the attendees fainted in the Oval Office while President Donald Trump was announcing a deal with drugmakers to lower the cost of obesity drugs.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this report, based on information from Getty Images, misidentified the man as a Novo Nordisk employee. This version has been updated based on new information from Novo Nordisk.
What happened?
What we know:
On Thursday, Trump and drugmakers were speaking to the press regarding a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.
David Ricks, Eli Lilly’s CEO, was giving remarks when he looked to his right and said, “Are you OK? Gordon, are you OK?” as one of the attendees collapsed.
President Donald Trump looks on as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz and others help a man who passed out during an event where Trump made a statement on lowering drug prices in the Oval Office. (Photo b
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, rushed over to the man as he collapsed to the floor. The press were then ushered out and asked to leave.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, was also in the room when the incident happened.
What they’re saying:
About 30 minutes later, when the press conference resumed, Trump gave an update on the man’s health.
“One of the representatives of the companies, of one of these companies, got a little bit lightheaded,” he told the press. “We saw he went down, and he’s fine. They just sent him out, and he’s got doctors here. But he’s fine.”
What we don’t know:
It’s not known for sure at this time what caused the man to collapse, or even who he is. Getty Images, who had a photographer at the event, initially identified him as an executive with Novo Nordisk, but the drug company later stated that was incorrect.
The White House did not respond to a FOX request about the man’s identity, but Ricks later said he was a “guest” of Eli Lilly, according to the Washington Post.
Child faints in Oval Office in April
Big picture view:
Dr. Oz previously helped out at the Oval Office in April, when one of his own family members fainted while he was being sworn in.
While giving comments on the ongoing trade war with China and his continued emphasis on how Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon,” a commotion ensued among the press.
RELATED: Press rushed out of Oval Office during Dr. Oz swearing in ceremony at White House
White House staff could be heard shooing press out of the Oval Office and the president could be heard saying, “I hope she’s OK.”
From April: Press rushed out of Oval Office after medical episode
During President Trump’s swearing-in ceremony for Dr. Oz the press was rushed out of the Oval Office due to what seemed to be a medical episode.
A woman, who appeared to be Oz’s daughter, Daphne, was seen escorting a young girl away before cameras were cut.
A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the girl was a family member of Oz’s and that she had recovered.