A medical emergency during a White House press conference prompted President Donald Trump to cut his speech short. The incident occurred while Trump was swearing in Dr. Mehmet Oz, a television personality appointed as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
According to the Irish Star, a young girl fainted during the ceremony, leading Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to end the briefing and ask reporters to leave the room. Leavitt was heard saying, “Press out,” as President Trump stepped away from the podium to assist, expressing concern by saying, “I hope she’s okay.” Dr. Oz was also seen rushing off-camera to offer help.
The White House later confirmed that a “minor family member” had fainted during the ceremony but was now doing well. “A minor family member fainted during Dr. Oz’s swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office,” the statement read, adding that they were glad to hear she was okay.
In his introduction of Dr. Oz, Trump highlighted his credentials, noting that he was a Harvard graduate and had earned an MBA from the Wharton School, as well as a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Oz previously served as the director of the Cardiovascular Institute and integrative medicine program at New York Presbyterian Hospital and was a cardiac surgeon and professor at Columbia University. He launched *The Dr. Oz Show* in 2009, which ended in 2022, but faced criticism for some of the medical advice he provided during its run, including a controversial claim about green coffee extract as a “magic weight loss cure.” Earlier this month, the Senate confirmed Dr. Oz’s appointment to CMS with a vote of 53-45.
