Trump appears to nod off during White House drug-price announcement

President Donald Trump, aged 80, convened an Oval Office press event on Monday to announce that several pharmaceutical firms have pledged to lower prices on selected medicines. The audience included cabinet officials, drug-industry leaders and journalists, and featured commendations from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

During the roughly hour-long meeting, Trump’s eyes repeatedly drooped, and at one point he kept them shut for more than 20 seconds before propping himself up to hear further praise. This episode is counted as at least the twentieth time observers have noted the president dozing in public, following similar lapses at a vaccine-order signing and the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded by asserting Trump’s “unmatched energy” and labeling media coverage as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The incident adds to ongoing scrutiny of the president’s health and stamina while he leads the nation.