Trump Accused of Taking Ozempic After Mocking 'Very Fat' Friend's Failed Results

President Donald Trump faced sharp criticism after mocking an unnamed wealthy friend's experience with the weight-loss drug Ozempic while promoting his administration's healthcare agenda. Speaking at a White House roundtable on rural healthcare investment, Trump digressed into an anecdote about a 'very smart', 'very, very rich' and 'very powerful' friend who he said remained 'very fat' despite taking Ozempic, a medication widely used in the United States for weight management and diabetes care. The president said the friend purchased the drug for £971 ($1,300) per month in New York but only £65 ($87) in London, a disparity he used to underline his call for lower US prescription drug prices.

White House Roundtable Tangent Turns Personal

During the rural healthcare event, which included discussion of a record £37 billion ($50 billion) funding boost for rural hospitals, Trump pivoted to drug pricing issues before telling the anecdote about his acquaintance's experience. Trump said he told the friend, 'the drug is not working on you ... you're actually fatter than ever,' and added that his bluntness was about 'always' telling the truth.

There is no public evidence that the unnamed individual has identified themselves or confirmed Trump's characterisation of their experience with Ozempic. Trump also did not provide direct documentation or corroboration for the account. The remarks have since circulated widely on social media and news outlets, prompting questions about decorum and whether the anecdote was appropriate in a formal policy setting.

Ozempic's Place in US Healthcare Debates

Ozempic (semaglutide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist approved in the United States for type 2 diabetes management; a related formulation, Wegovy, is approved for obesity treatment. Millions of Americans use these drugs to manage weight or metabolic conditions.

Under Trump's healthcare pricing initiative, framed as part of a 'Most Favoured Nation' approach, the administration announced agreements with manufacturers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk aimed at lowering US prescription costs by aligning them with the lowest prices in other developed countries. A White House fact sheetstated that Ozempic and Wegovy prices would be reduced from roughly £771 – £971 ($1,000 – $1,350) per month to £261 ($350) through a newly established TrumpRx platform, with further reductions proposed for oral formulations if approved. Separate reporting indicated the price of injectable formulations could be offered at roughly £183 ($245) per month for patients on Medicare and Medicaid programmes beginning mid-2026.

These pricing efforts reflect broader, bipartisan public concern over the high cost of prescription drugs in the US compared with other wealthy nations. Independent reporting has detailed that Americans often pay several times more for the same medication than citizens in the UK or Europe for identical products manufactured in the same facilities.

Political and Public Reactions to the Anecdote

Political observers have noted that Trump's comments, delivered amid formal policy discussions, quickly became fodder for online debate and speculation about the identity of the unnamed friend. Some commentators highlighted that without confirmation from the supposed individual, linking personal health outcomes to a public policy speech can be problematic. Social media users have speculated about who the 'very, very rich' friend could be, although no credible source has confirmed the identity or corroborated the story.

Meanwhile, Trump's pricing strategy builds on his administration's focus on healthcare affordability. In October 2025, he publicly stated at a White House event that the price of Ozempic would be lowered under his policies, noting negotiations with manufacturers to reduce out-of-pocket costs for Americans.

Administration officials, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have promoted the pricing reforms as part of a broader effort to expand access to GLP-1 medications for obesity and diabetes, emphasising potential health benefits and reduced patient costs. Trump's comments may persist as part of media coverage of healthcare policy, but the administration's official documentation and fact sheets focus on systematic pricing changes rather than individual cases.