Donald Trump’s White House press conference was dramatically cut short after a person suddenly collapsed on air.
The President was talking about Iran during a post-ceremony press question and answer session after Dr Mehmet Oz’s swearing-in as head of the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Service when the incident happened. Footage taken by journalists gathered at the scene showed the moment the young girl fainted, immediately capturing the attention of Dr Oz. He can be seen rushing off camera while Mr Trump, who was mid-speech at the time looked on seemingly unfazed by the incident, remained stood at his lectern.
Trump was answering questions about Iran’s nuclear program when reporters were suddenly told it was time to leave.
Members of the press were hastily shepherded out of the room after officials realised what was happening. In footage, an official can be heard telling journalists, “Out, out, press out”, with Trump looking on from a podium.
Dr Oz rushed in to help the girl following the shock incident, with the White House later confirming a “minor family member” fainted during the ceremony, adding they were now fine.
They said in a statement: “A minor family member fainted during Dr Oz’s swearing in ceremony in the Oval Office. We are happy to say she is OK.”
The President could be seen briefly leaving his post and wandering over to the part of the room where the young girl collapsed and watching on as Dr Oz and others helped.
The video shows the young girl being hastily accompanied out of the room while other members of the Trump administration – including Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt – watch on.
The sudden collapse came as Trump admitted negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had warned earlier Friday that the US may “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there’s no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.
“If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re going to say you’re fools, you’re foolish, and we’re just going to take a pass,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Rubio’s comments stepped up pressure on both sides to reach a peace deal, even as the U.S. and Ukraine made progress on a minerals agreement that Trump has sought to recoup billions of dollars in military assistance that Washington has sent Kyiv since Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022.
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