Things took a crazy and tense turn in the Oval Office on Thursday, November 6, with a guest suddenly collapsing during a speech being given by President Donald Trump on lowering the prices of some popular but expensive prescription drugs, leading to Dr. Mehmet Oz quickly jumping into action to help the press event attendee.
As background, the meeting during which the incident took place was one in which the president and his team delivered a plan regarding lowering the costs of obesity treatments and related prescription drug costs, with top health officials and pharmaceutical executive teams in attendance for the press event as well.
So, as the cameras rolled for the event, a man in attendance suddenly looked like he had lost his balance and then toppled over, causing a brief panic in the Oval Office. As the man first slumped and then toppled over, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks exclaimed, “Are you OK? Gordon, you OK?”
That sparked action from others. President Trump, who was seated at the Resolute Desk for the event, stood up quickly and looked at what was going on, with a collection of aides and other attendees rushing over to the slumped-over man to try and help him out.
Amongst those who did so was Dr. Mehmet Oz. A celebrated surgeon who is better known as a television personality despite his success as a surgeon, Dr. Oz is now serving as teh Trump Administration administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Dr. Oz rushed up to the fallen attendee and knelt beside him to help and assess his condition, with others clearing away so he had more space to do so.
Then, as he assessed what was going on with the fallen man, someone in the room yelled, “Press out!” The various reporters, cameramen, and the like were cleared from the room in quick order as the feed from the cameras was cut, bringing a halt to the event.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, commenting on the incident after it occurred, noted that the man was a representative from one of the companies attending the talk and had been treated by the White House Medical Unit. He is expected to be fine.
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Explaining as much, Leavitt 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.”
Watch the incident here:
This isn’t the first time that President Trump has commented on prescription drug prices. Doing so in a May post on his Truth Social social media platform, he said, “For many years the World has wondered why Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in the United States States of America were SO MUCH HIGHER IN PRICE THAN THEY WERE IN ANY OTHER NATION, SOMETIMES BEING FIVE TO TEN TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE SAME DRUG, MANUFACTURED IN THE EXACT SAME LABORATORY OR PLANT, BY THE SAME COMPANY??? It was always difficult to explain and very embarrassing because, in fact, there was no correct or rightful answer. The Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the “suckers” of America, ALONE. Campaign Contributions can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party.”
He added, hinting at the subject of the recent meeting, “Prescription Drug and Pharmaceutical prices will be REDUCED, almost immediately, by 30% to 80%. They will rise throughout the World in order to equalize and, for the first time in many years, bring FAIRNESS TO AMERICA! I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World. Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before. Additionally, on top of everything else, the United States will save TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS. ”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video